Collective Memory
by La'Ruelia
Summary: Kaim and Sarah's memories, shared and some unshared, in their never-ending lives.
1. Oyora

Part I.

The village was dry. Dry heat. Dry sand. Dry air. Dry everything.

Kaim was trying to get this strategy session done before everyone involved died from the heat. Although, the villagers were better suited for this weather than he, so maybe he was just trying to save himself from the agony. Sarah was doing her best to keep chipper but she could really only do so much. He knew that she was trying her best to stay in a good mood while the sun baked the ground and the people living on it. This little place needed some help in the upcoming month, and Kaim was grateful for Sarah's patience but even he knew it had to be wearing thin.

Some vacation.

Little Oyora was losing a war. The old mercenary in Kaim itched to help out, to get these people back home safely with one swing of his sword, but he promised himself he would let that fighting side go for a while. Concentrate on his own thoughts, or at least on his family.

He did decide to help the little village out in making an end plan. A plan that could hopefully give them the upper hand and finally lead them to victory. The villagers could use a few lessons on strategy and that was all Kaim promised to give them.

Meanwhile, Sarah was left to her own devices. He wasn't sure if that was the best thing to let her do in this little village, but he also knew she wasn't going to have it any other way.

. . .

Sarah hiked up her dress. She cursed herself for deciding to wear a long skirt out that morning. It was chilly in the early hours so she had hoped it would stay that way throughout the day, but with the way the heat kept on climbing she wouldn't be surprised if she died of heatstroke in what she was in. Not that she wouldn't just wake up a moment later. "Probably with a headache," she grumbled to herself.

This village lay in the south of the continent. It was summer, and summer meant sun for most of the day. Almost fourteen hours of it.

"And this is supposed to be a _vacation_!" People were starting to look at her strangely. Not only was she not dressed for the weather—having to hold her skirts high so that she wouldn't ruin them dragging through the dirt—but she was talking out loud to herself. It also didn't help that she was not from here, an outsider, and most couldn't understand her frantic chatter. And her _chatter_ sounded a lot like _yelling_. "Next time I pick were we go, and it might have to be the freezing mountains of Gohtza!"

She found a tree with some shade. She folded her legs and skirts about her and sat down for a rest. Despite the heat and her complaining, she was a little bit excited to be in a place she had never been to before. Although the place itself was a little bit of an oddity. She pulled out one of her many journals, titling the page: _The Desert Town_. Not the most original title, but that was the only thing she could think of. "Better than sand here and sand there," she bit out to herself.

Oyora was just on the edge of the Uhran Empire, and very close to this earth's equator. This made summers brutally hot and winters only marginally cooler. People here live in mud huts with straw thatched roofs, which surprisingly enough block out a lot of the heat, leaving a cool habitable home; and have built plenty of large shaded areas around the village. The people themselves were all very beautifully caramel tanned and sun kissed, making very pale Sarah the odd one out. _The even odder one out,_ she added to herself. The women all seemed friendly enough, and there were many different foods she had been very excited about trying. Sarah took a little more time and wrote more about the city in a positive light before she sighed and turned the page.

"The way this town is run isn't exactly fair to the _'weaker sex,'_ " Sarah said, jotting quick notes about life here in Oyora. "Women are treated like…" She found that she didn't want to write down what exactly it's like here for the ladies. _Well, they aren't treated equally. That's what I'll write._

Just earlier this morning she watched as a woman dropped a basket of fruit because she tripped over a man's carelessly outstretched leg. Then _he_ had the gall to yell at her about it as she struggled to pick them all back up into her basket. Sarah had watched in a bit of horror, but knew she couldn't step in to say anything. This was the way of life, or at least according to Kaim. All Oyorians followed the submissive woman rule. Even the women made sure to not step on any toes, and it drove Sarah up the wall.

"Note to self, I need the blessing of whatever gods there might be to not throttle these people." The more she wrote, the angrier she felt. It was not her place to say anything, though. Kaim had warned her about the people of this village. He had to deal with them in the past and according to him nothing much has changed in this aspect of their lives. These people were very set in their ways. She pushed up her glasses that slipped down her sweaty face. Not even in the shade could she escape the excess of salty moisture that was clinging onto her skin.

Sighing in frustration she snapped her journal closed and found her way back to the little place her and Kaim would be staying for, hopefully, just the weekend.

. . .

Feeling refreshed in lighter clothing and a wide brimmed hat, Sarah made her way back out into the sun to find her husband. It was noon, and not so many people were out and about like in the morning. The sun beat down on the earth with intensity making the villagers want to escape back to their homes and into the shade. Sarah found herself shielding her eyes even with her hat as she walked through the marketplace.

She had to stop in front of a seller, an older kind-looking woman, selling odd fruit. She was waving a fan in her face, but paused when Sarah approached. "Try some, yes?"

"Oh, well, actually." Sarah looked down at the different fruits that lay out in front of her. She always loved trying new things, but didn't want to ruin her appetite if it was too sweet or sour. Thinking about meals made her realize that she was running a little late to meet up with Kaim. "Ah, maybe another time?"

Before the old woman could respond, there was a sudden cry that interrupted the light babble that thrummed through the street. Sarah looked to see that young woman who dropped the basket this morning holding her face. The man in front of her, hand still raised from the slap he just delivered, yelling at her.

While Sarah hadn't caught up to the language spoken in this little village, she knew when a woman was being abused for no reason. Before she knew what was happening she was in front of the poor woman, hands outstretched trying to protect her from further harm. "Stop it!"

"Woman needs to know her place!" he said, straightening up. She could tell he was trying to intimidate her with his size. It wasn't working. She just frowned a little deeper. This made the man a little angry. "You do, too. Get out of my way."

Sarah shook her head. "I will not stand by and watch someone get hurt!"

The man scowled, and that only put a little bit of fear in Sarah's heart before she grounded it out and reflected his expression. This angered the man even further, and he raised his hand again. This time, Sarah knew it was meant for her. Kaim warned her about what would happen if a woman defied an order, and she would just have to take this punishment. She watched the hand begin to fly; flinching, knowing it was going to sting, and screwed her eyes shut.

Though nothing happened. Sarah opened her eyes to see that someone had pulled his hand away before it could strike. "I know the rules of this village are to stamp out any defiance in those who are weaker." Kaim's eyes were slits and he was speaking in a very deep and hushed tones.

"Then you know that I am in the right!"

Kaim squeezed his hand and the man cried out in pain. "You also know that it is not your place to discipline another man's woman. _She_ _is mine_ , and I would appreciate it if you never raise a hand to her again."

Kaim let his hand go, and the man rubbed his wrist trying to soothe the pain away. He gave a short nod to Kaim before turning to leave the street.

.

Kaim turned around to see Sarah helping the younger woman back onto her feet. The young woman bowed deeply to Sarah, which caused his wife to stammer out many excuses to not bow to her, before she went back to what she was doing.

Kaim reached a hand out to Sarah's shoulder only to have it shaken off. "So. I'm _your_ woman now, right?"

He winced at his words were echoed back to him. "Sarah, you know what I meant—"

"Oh, yes I do!" she interrupted, whipping around to face him, her hat hitting his face a little. Her voice was high and rang out clearly through the market. He could see she was upset, and didn't blame her for his poor choice of words. "And now I'm going to go do _my_ _husband's_ bidding and go find lunch and bring it to him, because that's what a good, _submissive_ wife should do!" Sarah turned on her heels before Kaim could think to react.

People stared at him in the center of the market, some ladies tittering behind closed hands. He was left thinking if anyone had anything better to do in this heat than to just stand around watching a poor man get yelled at by his angry wife in the middle of the street.

. . .

Sarah had delivered Kaim his food to the chief's house, but left as soon as it reached his hands and before he could even say any type of apology. Knowing better than to chase after her when she was in a mood, he had sat down to eat it alone. His appetite was gone, but he figured he needed this energy to get through the next few hours of meetings.

He remembered telling Sarah about the traditions and ways of the people in this village, but he should have known that she would step in if she saw anyone being hurt. He knew there wouldn't be any other way for her to react in that situation.

His mind wandered to the moment. He was just trying to make it through the throng of people to see why Sarah was late to meet him for lunch when he first saw the man hit the unsuspecting woman. He had sighed inwardly but decided it wasn't his place to try and lecture anyone from Oyora. Not when it would go through one ear and out the other.

But then Sarah popped into his vision. He made to join the group a little faster then, correctly predicting that his wife would be bold enough to stand up to this man in the middle of the marketplace. What he wasn't expecting was the other man to raise his hand again, this time aiming at his wife. That's when his heart dropped to his stomach and he sprinted the last few yards remaining between them.

He was used to the customs of this village. Oyora was one of the only villages that knew of his immortality, a little bit by accident on Kaim's part, so the villagers gave him respect for all of the help he had given to them in the past. Kaim aided in wars, trading, sickness, and anything else that might have happened in the past three hundred years. Never, though, had he thought that any one person would disregard one of the higher laws of this village: do not touch another man's woman. _Or wife_ , Kaim amended in his mind. Everyone knew that Sarah was married to him, so it came as a shock that a man would try to lay, or even threaten to lay, a hand on her.

That shock quickly made his blood boil. The anger that swept through him so quickly almost surprised him as he gripped the man's wrist in his hand with a bit of unnecessary force. Kaim wasn't trying to be a possessive person, certainly his wording could have been different in any other situation, but he knew he had to communicate himself in a way that would make the upset villager understand that this was not how this situation should end.

Bringing him back to Sarah who was now upset and barely speaking a word to him. He sighed into his spoon.

"I see someone is having some trouble," came a teasing voice. Kaim looked up to see the old leader of Oyora, his eyes creasing into his smile. It would seem that news traveled fast, and Kaim wouldn't be able to move an inch without anyone teasing him.

"It's nothing I can't handle." Kaim set away his half-finished food to stand up, showing reverence to the leader. The old man shook his head, making a motion for Kaim to sit back down. "Sarah…isn't used to these customs, and I didn't help make the situation any better."

"Customs that probably should be thrown out." The leader sighed and Kaim could tell from it that the leader was trying to fight the ruling. This fight, however, wouldn't swing well with the current men on the village panel or any of the other men in the village itself. They were all raised the same and it was hard to break that teaching. Kaim smiled a little at the thought, though he knew change wouldn't come easy to a place like this. "But that is another problem for another day."

Kaim quickly finished his lunch and soon he and the village leader were talking about this impending dispute.

. . .

Sarah carried her staff with her. Not because she thought she needed to defend herself from the people of this place, but because she was starting to feel a little sore under the sun and wanted the extra support. It did well to quell the place of its gossip, though. No one would try and talk to her when they saw her weapon. Sarah smiled a little to herself despite the heat.

It was getting to be later in the afternoon and people were starting to wander back outside. Children started to run around, in the shade, while mothers with fans watched from open doors and windows. The heat was cooling off, if only just a little bit, but still not enough to get more people outside.

Sarah had managed to climb up a dusty hill to take a better look over the village. Oyora didn't end at the horizon line stretching out farther than she imagined, and from where she stood at the top of the hill, she could see the center. She frowned a little thinking about her husband, and also thinking that maybe she was being a little bit too short with him. But that thought led her back to earlier in the afternoon, and she couldn't yet find it within herself to be more forgiving of the situation. Instead she turned in her place, leaned back and took a long draught from her waterskin; happy that she had found a way to make it refilling. "My black magic is getting better," she found herself saying out loud, bringing the water back to her lips. "Ever since that boat…attack…"

In the not so far distance she could see a lot of people running towards Oyora. She stared at them for a moment before realizing that it wasn't just a random group of people but rather an army, and they kept on coming down the distant hill.

She immediately thought of the playing children down below. Holding her staff close, she didn't waste any time racing down the hill. _By the time I make it back there they are going to be too close to the village!_ she thought desperately.

Her mind raced thinking of what she could do. She didn't have time, or the knowledge of just how large Oyora was to make a barrier. It only took a few minutes to make a barrier for Tosca, but she knew exactly how large to make it from living there for a few centuries. Even if she knew the size of this place, it would take time to go around and construct it.

Just as she reached the edge of the city she made her plan. "You!" She called out and pointed to a group of adults huddled around a tree. The men gave her annoyed looks but she didn't have time for it. "There are people coming around that hill! Soldiers! I'm sure of it! I need you to go get your Chief and Kaim!" Their faces paled and she could tell that they were hesitant. "FINE! Don't listen to this _woman_ warn you about _your_ death, but I will not watch these children get hurt!"

Sarah raised her staff and slammed it down into the dirt. That seemed to jump start the little group and half of them ran into the village. The others started to go around to warn everyone of the oncoming assault, some going as far as dipping into houses and grabbing a weapon. Concentrating, Sarah focused on her body. The space around her seemed to waver a little before settling again. Unlike Oyora, Sarah knew the exact dimensions of her own body. It only took her a matter of a few milliseconds to construct and weave a wall around herself. It wasn't the most sound idea, even barriers could be broken if there was a very hard direct hit to it, but it was enough to keep her safe from a distance; and Sarah didn't plan on getting too close.

The women gathered the children in their homes and when the street was clear, Sarah marched out to the edge of the village. With only a few moments to spare, as she was soon met by slowing warriors of all sizes. She stood her ground, face and mind concentrated on her staff and magic.

There was a snicker, loud enough for her to hear. "They send a pale _woman_ to guard their village!"

It might have been the heat. It might have been the insults from the man at the marketplace, and the continued misogyny of Oyora, and now this mystery army. It could have been the need to get out of here before she burnt to a little crisp. It might have been her slightly misplaced annoyance at Kaim.

Or the fact that a well strung arrow managed to graze her leg before her magic had a chance to deflect it. She silently cursed the sting of the wound and the fact that she decided to not concentrate really hard on anything lower than her mid thighs. _These men are probably just out to wound me for the sake of being a woman_ —and that thought sent her into overdrive. She let out a breath and swung her staff quickly in the air. She then slammed it into the ground with a loud thud.

The earth magic swept through the front lines so fast the opposing side didn't know what hit them. The ground shook and cracked and shifted, and men toppled over. They couldn't quite catch their feet. Another swing of her staff, and another hard hit to the dirt underneath her, and the earth split open. She concentrated, feeling sweat prickle on her skin at the energy she was exerting, and let the gap widen a little. The first few lines of people were swallowed up.

She was sure to make the hole not very deep, just enough that there would be some major broken bones and some bought time.

She lowered her staff and saw that it definitely would buy them some time. The army was scrambling on uneven ground and not even paying any attention to her. If they did look her way it was in fear.

"Good! Maybe you've learned your lesson!" She raised her staff again, waggling it a little, and several of them ran away. She gasped out a little laugh, but it turned into a little moan. It was after that she started to feel the effects of the energy she just exerted and things started to get hazy. Just trying to stay on her feet felt like a battle. "Maybe I overdid it."

"Sarah!"

Sarah turned and fell flat on her face.

.

Kaim could feel the earth shake and knew that Sarah was using magic. Since the boat incident that happened almost a century before, Sarah had made it her goal to become better acclimated with all the different kinds of magics in the world. She was already pretty efficient in white magic—being the only healer Tosca has ever known—and knew about protection charms and walls, but hadn't really touched on black magic or anything on a deeper level.

Kaim, by the way the earth split open in front of him, could tell that her composite magic was definitely up to par. He watched as the soldiers from the other side were swallowed up by the spell.

He came to a stop when Sarah finally came into view at the edge of the hill. She had just taunted the other side of the gap and Kaim almost laughed at the faces they made, but then he noticed the red that was running down her calf.

He called out her name, and started to panic when she fell right on her face.

He ran up to his wife and attempted to touch her, but the barrier that surrounded her deflected his hands. He took a deep breath in and scrambled to remember the conversations he had with her about breaking a barrier if he was going up against an enemy.

 _"Really all it take is just one perfectly aimed, really hard hit,"_ she had told him one lazy, rainy day. _"There's always a chink in the armor. Find the place where the magic is frayed and strike it! If it doesn't work the first time, try again. Most people don't have time to look for the opening in the wall when they might be attacked, so that's why it can be hard to take down without killing the user."_

Kaim spotted it in the open space between her ribcage and arm. If he hadn't have known what to look for, he probably would have missed it completely. He was thankful he wouldn't have to strike over her body, as he made a fist. He punched the space, feeling the wall tear under the strike. Another hit and it faded away completely.

He carefully rolled her around to face him. Her glasses were cracked and she had busted her lip in her fall. She was very hot and breathing hard, and though she was alive, he was very worried. As gently as he could, he brushed his hands over her to check for broken bones. Nothing looked out of place except the gash on her leg. He thanked whoever was listening it had clotted but it needed cleaned before it was infected.

"She…she did that?"

The villagers gathered around having finally caught up to where Kaim stood, lifting Sarah off of the ground. "She must be a _witch_!"

Kaim just turned and without making a sound made his way back into Oyora.

. . .

Kaim watched as Sarah finally opened her eyes. He let out a breath he was didn't know why he was holding. It wasn't like she could die. "Kaim."

"Don't talk. Just rest."

"I think I had a heatstroke." Sarah was blinking up at him. He sighed as she disregarded his advice. "My head hurts. I think I'm going to be sick. Is that possible? I feel like I've never thrown up befo—" Kaim only had a moment to move his legs before Sarah retched over the side of the bed. It wasn't much, but Kaim could tell it was enough to surprise her. She slumped down. Kaim rubbed her back as she let out a sad moan. "First time for everything."

"Have you been drinking water?" A slow nod. "Have you eaten anything today?" A pause, and then a shake of her head. Kaim sighed and held back Sarah's hair as another wave of nausea hit her. It was only dry heaving this time. "Sarah, I thought we were working on the not eating thing."

"Sorry," she managed to rasp out.

After a while, Sarah finally lay back down and fell asleep. Kaim went outside to fetch water to clean up the mess.

He wasn't expecting anyone when he stepped out of his little hut, but there the chief stood under an old paper umbrella. The older man waved him over. Kaim walked towards him bucket in hand.

"Well, your wife has some skill! She must be just like you." The chief shifted so that Kaim could be under the umbrella as well. He accepted the offer and they began to walk to the middle of the village. "In the few hours that has passed all of the enemy has gone away. That'll probably keep them away for a long while."

They made it to the well in the middle of the village. Kaim noticed that the villager were avoiding his gaze, shuffling away from him as fast as they could. He watched as people flittered about, knowing that Sarah was the reason they were a bit wary. He tipped his bucket into the well. "So long as they think you've got a witch on your side."

The chief sighed as he caught the annoyance in Kaim's voice. "Yes, I heard that. I'll be sure to stop that little rumor floating around."

"I think," Kaim started, pulling the bucket up from the well. He unhooked the handle and they made their way back to Kaim and Sarah's hut. "I think we might be leaving soon."

"I'm sure Miss Sarah needs her rest." The chief nodded, agreeing with him. "You've done enough for this old village for now. Take all the time you need until she is better."

The chief patted Kaim's arm once before making his way back to his own home. Kaim watched as he walked past a group of men, shooing their questions away.

. . .

Sarah took two days to recover. She couldn't eat the first day and the second day it was mostly just bread and a weak soup, but by the early morning of the third day after the attack she was up and packing.

"Good riddance to this place!" She folded the last of Kaim's undershirts and locked their baggage away. She nudged her broken glasses back up her nose, and sighed. These were one of her better pairs and now she would need to visit the closest big city for an optometrist. It wasn't something she wanted to do on vacation, if she could call this vacation. In another huff, she went about folding the light blanket and leaving it on top of the bed she shared with Kaim, and fluffing the pillow up at the foot of the bed.

When she turned around, Kaim was walking into the hut with their light breakfast of fruit and bread. She took it without a word and ate while she double checked her journals and books she brought with her. It was several minutes later before she heard, "Sarah."

"What?" She turned to Kaim and reprimanded herself. They still hadn't really talked about what happened the other day, but she didn't need to be so testy with him. After all, he did take care of her while she was down and out.

"I'm sorry," the both of them said at the same time. Sarah could feel an embarrassing blush creep up on her face.

Kaim shifted on his feet; not exactly looking at her eyes, but, Sarah guessed, her chin instead. He started again, "about the other day. I shouldn't have said what I said at the marketplace. I just…the thought of him hitting you. That's…not okay. It's against the laws of the village, but also—" here he finally looked into her eyes. Sarah could tell he had been thinking about this while she rested. "I am not fine with anyone laying a hand, or even threatening to harm you, Sarah. My anger, I believed, was in check and I thought that saying what I said would defuse the situation. I didn't think about my wording until you…well, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound so…possessive." He looked down again. Sarah just wanted to squeeze the dejectedness out of him as his shoulders slumped forward a little. "I'm not…I hope you don't think I'm like that."

Guilt wrapped itself over her like a heavy blanket. All this time he was mulling over that thought, while Sarah was trying to dispel that anger. She couldn't help the few tears that slipped out of her eyes suddenly. How could he ever consider she would think so little of him? For the century they've been married and the three hundred years before, never once did Kaim treat her like any of the women were treated in Oyora.

She tried to wipe away the wetness before he noticed, but she couldn't even do that quickly enough. He made to step towards her for a half a second before he paused. Almost like he wanted to ask permission to touch her; and she could have slapped him for being so dumb, but then she remembered that he thought he had really overstepped his boundaries this week. So, instead, she found herself pulling him into the fiercest hug she could muster and planting a kiss somewhere on his face. She attempted his mouth, but her perception was a little off with her glasses being broken. He found her lips after a moment though, and she could practically feel his unease melt away the longer she stayed near him.

"Kaim, please don't ever think I don't want you to touch me," she said after they broke apart. His hands, as if to agree with her, squeezed her hips.

He dragged her closer, and this time the kiss landed on the mark the first time. "Okay."

With flushed cheeks, Sarah finished her breakfast and pulled her pack onto her back. She didn't exactly apologize herself, but could only hope that the kiss explained to him what her mouth was failing to get out. Kaim grabbed his own pack and opened the door.

They were greeted by half a dozen faces. The ladies looked at Sarah with a shy curiosity. "Miss Sarah! Please do not go!"

Sarah blinked. She stepped a little closer and noticed that it was the woman who she kept on bumping into. "I'm sorry miss…?"

"Ada!" She held out her hand and Sarah took it. "I am so sorry to ask you to stay."

Sarah could see Kaim cross his arms from the corner of her eye. He looked amused. Sarah cocked her head to the side. "Ada, we were just leaving and…this was really only supposed to be a short visit—"

"Miss Sarah!" a young girl stepped out from behind Ada. She held herself with her arms crossed behind her back, not exactly looking into Sarah's eyes. "I saw what you did with ground."

"They call you a witch!"

Sarah sighed. This conversation wasn't getting anywhere, but the smallest voice continued. "I want to learn!"

"You want to learn?"

"Your witchcraft."

Sarah definitely heard a chuckle come from Kaim. Her lips twisted into a frown. "Really, it's not witchcraft. It's magic—I'm not a witch!—but I can't just teach it to you. You have to show some skill…"

"Miss!" The little girl looked up at Sarah again. Sarah watched as she uncrossed her arms from behind her to reveal a stick in her hand. "Watch!" She mimicked Sarah's own stance from a few days before and tapped the stick on the ground.

Sarah almost smiled in sympathy and a little humor at the little girl's antics, but then she could feel the air gathering around them. It wasn't much, only a little bit of wind like a breeze, but the girl was channeling the wind through her manmade staff. That much the older woman could tell. Sarah's excitement almost overwhelmed her. "Where did you learn to do that? How long has this been going on? Is there anyone else—?"

Kaim cleared his throat stopping Sarah mid thought process, and she caught back up to herself. She knew her questions could last forever. "Ah well." She looked at the young girl, who was excited to show off her skill. Here could be an answer to some of the village's problems. Let the ladies empower themselves. Become a force to be reckoned with. And as much as Sarah disliked the idea of staying any longer, having magic users in the village could give them the upper hand in finally ending this feud. Who knew how many ladies, or even men she was loathed to admit, could have potential to produce magic? What about healers, or those who would be good at protection? How long would it take to train them? _That_ thought made her sigh.

Sarah looked up at Kaim. He shrugged, pulling off his pack. "Are we staying then?" He knew the answer already.

"How can we not?" Sarah agreed with a small smile. The women in front of her called out their excitement and Sarah couldn't help the warm feeling in her chest.

What was another year or three in ensuring the future of a village to an immortal?

* * *

As an author's note: I had posted this earlier last year on my ao3 account and forgot to put it up here! It is a kind of sequel to my other story _To Die_ , but you don't really have to read it to understand what's going on here!

-La'Ruelia


	2. Winter's Unrest

The first night Kaim came home from his latest war he seemed okay. Maybe it was exhaustion from the long time away, or maybe it was that he was finally safe by Sarah's side, but he slept calmly and for so very long. It was almost noon by the time he finally rolled out of bed. Sarah was down in the kitchen making a very late breakfast when she felt his warm and heavy arms wrap around her. She leaned her cheek against his, but recoiled almost instantly.

"Bath," Sarah said, scooting her husband towards the bathroom. She wrinkled her nose at him. "You smell like sweat."

He laughed at that and playfully took her hand. "Only if you come with me."

Sarah blushed, but couldn't deny him this simple request. Not when she hadn't seen him in almost a decade.

.

The second night was even better. He was still very tired, but spent the rest of the afternoon working around the house. Here he lay, sleeping evenly beside her; as quiet and relaxed as a child, but Sarah knew it was going to happen soon. It always did.

.

The third night he woke up with a leap. Sarah wasn't even asleep yet and was surprised by the sudden jerk. "Kaim?"

"It'snothing." His expression told a different truth. Dark and a little bit confused, he looked to be trying to blink his dream away. Almost as if he wasn't quite in Tosca, in their bed, but out in the war again. She wasn't even sure if he was fully awake. Something about his slurred speech and half lidded eyes told her he probably wouldn't remember even waking up come tomorrow. Sarah decided not to ask him.

Instead she tucked his hair behind his ear, smoothing it out across his neck and ran her nails gently through his scalp. Running her fingers through his hair put him into a trance, and Sarah watched as he slowly drifted back to sleep. She didn't stop until he rolled his face into his pillow.

.

As the week took over, Sarah noticed the bags starting to grow under his eyes. As the mornings came each day, she noticed the empty cold place where Kaim usually lay. She frowned and laid a hand on the spot her husband occupied.

When she would get up, Kaim was usually already up and busy doing something. It was nearing winter—Sarah was expecting snow any time now—and they would need wood for the fireplace, or something in their home would need patched, or they would need some fresh food from Tosca. He kept to himself mostly, and Sarah was left to wonder when he would finally crack.

. . .

The week had past and then another, when Sarah found herself in a new predicament.

 _These shackles are starting to sting!_ she thought to herself. The constant rubbing against her wrists were making her skin raw, and she didn't know how long it was going to be until they were taken off. On top of everything it was getting so very cold, and that didn't help the metal that clasped around her, making her shiver.

She looked out of the little slit between the boards, hoping to catch a sign of where she could possibly be going. Instead all she saw was the first snowfall. With a sad sigh she thought, _Kaim always likes to watch the first snowfall together. And we haven't done that in eight years!_

The covered wagon she was on came to a wobbling stop. Before she could wonder where she was, the doors were thrown open. There stood the man who captured her a week before. "Get up."

. . .

The walk to and from Tosca were very uninteresting, but Kaim helped out around the small mountain village as per Sarah's request to get him away from his mind. He had run out of things to do around the house, and she had helpfully requested he go check with the village folk for any _before snowfall_ repairs. He knew Sarah was getting antsy. He hadn't spoken to her about the terrible business he was just in, and he couldn't quite bring himself to even think about it yet. It was already plaguing his sleep and any moment he wasn't thinking or doing something productive; and to bring it out into the open—to talk to someone about it—he was just afraid it was going to hinder more than help.

He walked through the gate towards the home he shared with his wife, and a sudden chill went down his spine. The lights were off, despite the growing darkness of the short winter day, and their front door was ajar.

Kaim wished he had his sword by his side, already disgusted he would have to rely on it only a few weeks back home. Tosca was far up into the mountains and he didn't think very many people would want to attack it or its residents. He carefully moved towards the mansion, eyes narrowed and body alert. He gently pushed the door and waited a moment. The atrium was empty, but things were tossed around. His heart picked up in pace as his eyes scanned the room.

Sarah was usually, at this time of day, in their upstairs study. He closed the door behind him, carefully locking it, and made his way up the stairs as silent as he could be. Their bedroom door was open and the light on, but she wasn't in there.

He continued onto the one study he shared with Sarah. It was a disaster. Papers knocked over and chairs overturned. The frightening thing was Sarah's staff lay broken in half in the middle of everything. Kaim didn't feel nausea often, but this was one of a few moments where his stomach flopped and sweat beaded on his forehead. He knew immediately after seeing the broken weapon that Sarah wasn't in their home, but his already tired body didn't stop him from yelling her name throughout the empty mansion. He searched every room, every study, and every bedroom and there was no a sign of his wife.

His mind couldn't settle down as he collapsed into a chair after his second run through their home. He couldn't help the visions of Sarah being caught by surprise. Sarah being confronted, being grabbed, being hurt, being scared by whoever did this. Kaim drew in a breath and felt like he was unable to let it go.

Instead, the anger that rolled in was uncontrollable. A haze of fury that burned from the inside out. Kaim slammed a fist into the stone wall beside him, not caring about the broken skin and blood that would be dripping from his knuckles. How dare anyone lay a hand on Sarah? She was good and pure. She never harmed anyone who wasn't already doing harm themselves. Kaim's body tensed. Insurmountable rage constricted his chest and all thoughts turned blood red. He could feel himself curling then releasing his hands. The sting from the hand injury apparent on his left. He let go of the breath he was holding and screwed his eyes shut. _Calm down, calm down, calm down._

It took him pinching the bridge of his nose and breathing deeply to think about this situation. He knew Sarah could take care of herself—he knew that because she had proven that to him many times in their centuries of knowing each other—but she was without a weapon. Kaim tried to remember any time she was able to produce magic without a staff and he was pulling up blank. He was sure there were some things she would be able to do, but black magic was still something she was working on perfecting. Could she find herself out of a situation with only her healing and barriers? Could she do anything at all without a weapon?

He remembered her saying that it took time to adjust to a new weapon. That switching between swords was easy and necessary for a warrior to do, but with magic she had to know the staff she carried. Magic users needed to understand the material and form of their weapon before they could produce magic the way they had before they switched staffs. Because of this, it could take a few days or a few months, depending on the difference of materials used, to create the staff.

Kaim held his head as he remembered the conversations they had. Sarah has had this staff for as long as he could remember, and to see it broken on the floor caused his anxiety to creep up once again. Worry and fear edged into his rage, and his mind was drifting to thoughts of Sarah being helpless against an unknown enemy. _She's immortal_ , he said to himself, eyes finally opening. That thought was like a light, and most of his anxiety vanished. _She's immortal, and can't die. She's immortal, and can't die_. He chanted this mantra until he could finally stand on his feet again.

He needed to act quickly. The people of Tosca would have known if anyone went through the little town with her, he just needed to know which way to go.

Kaim ran back up to their room taking two steps at a time.

. . .

Sarah fell onto her knees. After spending a week traveling on a wagon, it had been a grueling three days of travel on foot. Some of the group rode horses through the canyon, much to Sarah's dismay at the rough treatment of the poor beasts, but they made her walk every moment of it. The group had stopped on the opposite side of the Ice Canyon, and she could only guess that they were on their way to the grand city of Gohtza.

In the almost week and a half she had been with these men she learned that they were out for revenge. Revenge against the warrior who slaughtered the bandits and foiled their plans that had been decades in the making. Sarah knew they were talking about Kaim, but all she knew from him was that Kaim was on a mission from the Gohtzan King to take out some evil men before they overran His country. She put two and two together and sighed at the pickle she found herself in.

She also learned that this was not an official order from their bandit leader, that their boss didn't even know what they were doing. These men spent the better part of their time since the fall of their army tracking Kaim to kill him. When they couldn't find a chance to strike, they saw Sarah as an opportunity. They had caught her by surprise, broken her weapon, and lead her off into the mountains. She was hoping that she'd see Kaim when they took her through Tosca, but they made her wear her hooded cloak drawn up, and threatened her not to make eye contact with anyone. They informed her that they were bringing her back to their boss as a gift, and she could only shudder at what that truly meant.

Meanwhile, during this long and cold week, Sarah had kept her head low and in search of anything she might be able to use as a weapon. Halfway through the canyon she found a perfect stick. Something that wasn't too heavy, but also was pretty flexible, and very long. Luckily her last staff of the past two centuries had been from wood, albeit a charmed wood to make it last so long, but the material was still the basic same. Unluckily, as she stooped over to grab it, her glasses slid off her nose and into the snow. When she tried to pick them back up she was pushed forward, falling knees first into the snow, effectively burying her glasses enough to where she could not see them. She tried her hardest to make it look like she had twisted her ankle in the fall, and needed the extra support from the stick she had picked up. So far the men were buying it, and didn't say too much to her about her new walking stick. She squinted behind her, sighing at her lost vision— _that was my favorite pair of glasses too!_ —and leaned heavily onto the sturdy weapon beside her.

Sarah did find that the more days she was out in this weather without the most proper clothing, and the less they gave to her to eat, that she was starting to feel the weariness of travel and starvation. Her stomach seemed to be constantly growling and her gloveless fingers were turning odd colors. When the men slept, she would quietly concentrate all the healing magic she could into the walking stick and manage to keep the frostbite at bay, but it was getting harder and harder to concentrate and her new staff was taking a little bit of time to get used to. If she couldn't find a way out of this soon, she could die out here.

And that made her laugh bitterly. One man looked her way and she hid it in a cough. "At least we're almost there. I don't know how much longer she's gonna make it out here."

"Let's do it, boys. We don't want this hostage dying here on us!"

Sarah limped her way between the talking men, pulling her hood down closer to her face. There was a clearing further up, and even with the darkening skies she could tell there was some sort signs of life going on in there. Smoke wisped its way into the skies, and there were lights on in the distance.

Within a half hour the group had stopped in front of a cabin. Some men tied the poor horses to a pole outside of the door, and the others stamped their feet against the ground freeing their boots of snow. Sarah watched as the leader of this expedition knocked on the door in a rhythm. The door slowly swung open and there stood a man. He looked at the group up and down before waving them entrance.

Sarah could almost appreciate the warmth of this little cabin if it wasn't for the stench of the unwashed men in the room and the fact that in the middle of the cabin stood a fearsome looking figure. She couldn't see it until he stepped a little closer, but he had one scar that went from his left ear all the way across his lips to his opposite shoulder. It looked to be still healing as his skin was a blotchy red all around it. His nose was crooked, like it had been broken one too many times, and one eye was swollen shut. He wore a long black fur coat, despite the warmth of the room, and gave her a toothy smile when he got close to her. She would have retched if her stomach had anything to give to the smell.

"Brought me a woman have you? I've been waiting for a plaything." There was a chorus of laughter. Sarah's lips formed a grim line.

"Even better!" the leader of the expedition exclaimed, hand over heart. "This is the woman of Kaim Argonar!"

Time seemed to still and the air was suddenly frigid cold, as if someone doused the fire out. Sarah's heart picked up in pace when the ugly brute of a man stepped even closer to her. Her fingers clenched around the makeshift staff underneath her cloak when he did so. "General Kaim Argonar is not a friend of mine, woman. You know that right?"

"I'm sure my _husband_ would never have a friend like you."

The man yanked the hood off of her head and held her face with his free hand. Sarah squirmed from the touch, but looked him straight in his good eye. She was giving off a challenge, and the man was ready to take it. He laughed deep and dark. His hand that wasn't holding her face, unclasped her cloak and let it fall slowly to the floor.

Sarah, who was hiding her walking stick underneath said cloak, went in for the surprise. She slammed the stick into his jaw, and when he cried out in pain he let go of her face. While the makeshift staff was still connected to him, she let out all the magic energy she had been storing in herself. It wasn't much but she was hoping it would be a good enough distraction for her to escape. It zapped the leader sending him flying away from her. The room stayed silent as they watched their leader stumble backwards. It was her moment to flee while everyone was rushing towards the man on the ground, but Sarah was suddenly reminded of one thing. She hadn't eaten in nearly four days, and that little energy she stored in herself was all the energy she had left. She went to turn away and her legs were suddenly like gelatin and she could not even support herself going one step in any direction. The next thing she knew was that she was on the floor, weakly looking at the floor.

As she was being lifted up by the recovered leader, she could only manage to raise one hand to his wrist. A poor way to try and defend herself.

"You'll pay for that with your life!" Spit hit Sarah's face, but she didn't have time to be disgusted as she was now struggling to find a way to remove the hand from her throat. His hand was large, large enough that he could touch fingers as they squeezed around her throat. She clawed at it, moved her face side to side, but less air was coming in the more pressure he added. Within a few moments her vision was starting to fade. Her heartbeat hard and fast, and there was a heaviness suddenly in her head as she tried to gasp for breath. Bones started to crack as the hand grew tighter, and Sarah knew she wasn't getting out of this alive. In an odd moment of clarity before her vision left her totally, she thought about the poor man—her dear husband—who was no doubt trying to look for her in this snow.

 _Please don't find me until after I'm reborn!_ she thought, knowing Kaim's heart would break if he found her dead, and then the world went black.

. . .

Kaim luckily found one boy in Tosca who had seen Sarah as she was leaving. "I saw Miss Sarah and I waved but she didn't wave back! I think she was frowning?"

They had taken her through the black cave several hours before. Kaim was in luck. He knew that cave like the back of his hand, and could get through it quickly. Only problem was that Sarah knew the cave just as well and probably led them through it just as fast. He pulled his scarf tighter around his neck and made his way through.

He was met with a very fierce storm on the other side of the mountain, though. One he wouldn't be able to travel through without getting very lost or hurting himself. It was almost midnight when he got out of the cave and there wasn't going to be any light for traveling far, so he stuck to the path before him. His eyes glued down onto the ground in front of him, as the snow and wind carried him forward. He reached his destination without getting lost. Realizing he was going to be forced to stay in Saman until the weather cleared, Kaim made his way to the little inn. Kersen's inn keeper gave Kaim his normal room and food.

"By any chance have you seen Sarah pass through here?"

"Was she supposed to? Odd that you'd be traveling separate! No, I have not, Mr. Argonar. Your wife hasn't been here in a few weeks!" The face Kaim made must have been one of distraught. The inn keeper held up his hands, trying to reassure him. "But I'll ask around! I was gone for most of today!"

Sarah hadn't stopped here at the inn, and there hadn't been any boats leaving the port in about two weeks with the weather, which meant she could be in this storm. There was only one place they could have taken her from here, and that made Kaim frown. He reminded himself again that she was immortal, that he would find her no matter what was thrown his way, but he still felt the niggling feeling of anxiety. Begrudgingly, he ate his food knowing he was going to need all the strength to travel through the Ice Canyon.

.

The storm didn't stop until two mornings later. Frustrated with time lost, Kaim bought some gear, including matches and a little pot to boil the fresh fallen snow into water, and set out north. The snow slowed him down more than he would like; he had to camp out two days when, traveling normally, he would be able to make it to this cavern in a day's time. There was a little trail left by a wagon, though, and he was grateful for that at least. It helped his boots clear a better path for him to walk.

 _I wonder what a wagon would be doing going up this way? There wasn't any towns or life between Saman and the Ice Canyon, and who would want to force any beast to go through this heavy snow?_ Kaim asked himself, frowning. He picked up his pace the best he could.

By the middle of the third day away from Saman, he found the abandoned wagon. It was looking like another storm was heading his way anyway, so he figured he'd create a shelter with it. The animals that were pulling the thing were gone; either let go or taken through the canyon, and the wagon itself was pretty sturdy. In the afternoon light, Kaim set up camp.

He quickly examined the outside of the wagon. The tarp looked sealed up tight, with no visible holes. He tossed his things on the inside of the wagon and quickly found some heavy rocks to block the wheels from moving with the wind. With that done, and some extra snow packed around it for good measure, he was positive this wagon would be a pretty good shelter for the night.

He threw open the tarp and climbed inside. The floor was made of metal and it was very cold to the touch. Kaim knew if the temperature was going to drop he could freeze out here. So he hopped back out and wandered around the trees beside the canyon's entrance. He collected enough branches and stones to make a small fire, and a little barrier around it to keep the branches and fire in place.

With his little fire made, and the metal wagon heating up nicely, Kaim set to boiling some water and making his dinner. When he dipped his little pot outside to scoop up snow, he noticed that it was already snowing heavily. He wouldn't be surprised if there were another foot of snow added to the blanket of it already on the ground.

His dinner made and eaten, Kaim pulled out his blanket to sleep. Or at least he tried to sleep. Between the metal ground, the wind that sent a little whistle through a small crack in the wooden walls, and the nightmares he'd been having, morning came slowly and with little rest.

Kaim packed away his things. The night's snow left another two feet on the ground, coming up to Kaim's thighs. He had to wade through the snow to get to the canyon, and then dig to get to the entrance. It was two day's walk through this place, as long as the snow let off. It had been almost a week since he had seen Sarah last, but his mind couldn't even process what could be happening to her. Only just that he needed to see her, and know she was safe. Kaim pulled his coat around him, secured his pack, and kept his scarf covered face low. He didn't need any more cold wind to hit his chapped lips. _I'm coming, Sarah. Just a little longer._

.

There wasn't much snowfall happening in the Ice Canyon, though the wind was bitter and blew hard. With Kaim constantly keeping his head down he noticed that there was a trail that had definitely been left by a group of a half dozen people and maybe three horses. Their deep steps were still in the snow, and it looked like they were struggling a little to get through this place in one piece. Kaim reused the group's old campsites as he went along, and found that it was the only thing he could be happy about.

Halfway through, he found something that made his heart almost leap right out of his chest. There on the ground, crystalized in the cold snow and ice, lay glasses. Not any glasses, but Sarah's _favorite_ pair. Kaim could have cried if his face wasn't frozen in a scowl from the icy wind. At last some sign that he was going in the right direction, and that this trip wasn't lost. He figured they had to be closer up ahead, maybe only one full day's head start, and that he could catch up to them before nightfall of the next day. He carefully scooped them into a hand and tucked them inside of his coat. Head bowed again, he doubled his pace wanting to get out of the canyon as soon as possible.

Just as he had hoped, Kaim finally noticed them the next night. He was having trouble in the snow—his exhaustion of getting little sleep and the constant cold blast of wind hindering his body from working all the way correctly—but he concentrated and tried to be as silent as he could. The land was leveling out, though the snow had come back with a vengeance now that he was out of the canyon. This cabin that he was being led to was just on the outskirts of Gohtza. He wondered just who these men were and what they wanted Sarah for. He tried wracking his brain, but he was coming up blank. He could hardly think straight anyway, and decided just to focus on getting closer without making himself known.

He dipped into some trees to the left of them, watching for any signs of his wife, and finally caught her in the middle of the group. He couldn't see her face, but that was her cloak. He remembered her embroidering it before he left for that war eight years before. The group was at the cabin now, and he waited until they were inside and it had grown quiet before walking out from the trees.

He paused when he saw a blast of light come through the windows. He stood still for a moment preparing for the men to come outside and notice him. There were murmurs and a shout before everything went quiet again. Seeing that no one was coming outside, Kaim roused himself from his position and slowly made his way to the door. It was when he heard someone say, "I'll have your life for that!" that he stopped in his tracks. After a second of fumbling with his tired legs, he made to run to the door. He tripped in the snow, cursing his legs and arms, and threw away his pack that kept him tangled and heavy. It took a moment to gather himself up again, grab his blade from where it hung on his hip, and kick open the door.

Kaim stepped in looking at the scene before him. The men had made a half-circle around two figures in the middle of the room, but parted when they heard the door crash open. That left him with a clear view of what was happening in the middle of the room. Kaim suddenly could only concentrate on one body, and that was Sarah's unmoving form in the hold of the man's fingers.

He didn't even give himself any time to make out the situation. In an instant, the blind rage came back in full swing, and Kaim charged at Sarah's attacker. There was no sound, but the face he must have made scared all of the men in the room and they scrambled to get out of his way. The easy manner Kaim was able to cut down their leader in the matter of a few seconds had everyone running from the small cabin.

Kaim breathed in and out several times, reminding himself that this man wasn't a good man. His exhausted mind was trying to reason out for the death of a mortal, like it always did when he had to strike down another. He thought to himself that this bandit leader hurt many people, and even worse, hurt someone he loved. That finally brought him back to Sarah. Eyes suddenly widening, he dropped to his knees and pulled his wife away from the dead man. He shifted her head. There were bruises, ugly and blue, dotted around her throat, but her spine was not crushed. She had a pulse—he wasn't too late, and she wasn't _dead_ —and when he saw her chest slowly rise and fall, he started to cry. Tears fell freely from his eyes and he just didn't have the energy to wipe them away. They fell onto Sarah's clothes, her neck, and on her face. The only noise in the room was her raspy breath and his shaky one.

He knew she was fine, that even _if_ her life had ended it would have only been for a moment or two, but he was haunted by the events of the last few years. The deaths of whole villages and the bodies strewn on the floor. The women, children, and the horror that he had seen. He turned bleary eyes to the scarred man in black next to them and had to hold himself back from kicking the lifeless bandit. _He's gone and won't hurt another person_ , he reminded himself, though it did little to quell the anger at this man who was a major part in this ugly war.

Kaim tried wiping at his eyes, but it wasn't helping. Tears still fell and his gasping was coming out harder. Exhaustion and grief was winning out over the anger he felt, and he was powerless to stop his body from showing it. Instead, he clutched onto the front of Sarah's shirt and buried his face in it. The quiet sobs jerked his body forward and back against her. He couldn't stop it. He just needed to be near her, feel her chest heaving as she tried to regain the air she had lost. When he felt her shift underneath him, he wiped his eyes on the back of his gloves and lifted his face.

She was blinking and squinting, but when she finally saw him, her face broke into the widest smile he had ever seen. Kaim didn't know why but just seeing that smile collapsed him back into tears. Sobs broke out and he covered his face with his hands, a little ashamed at the display of emotion and that he couldn't even smile back to her. Sarah sat up, tangled arms around him, whispering raspingly, "I love you."

Kaim couldn't even find his voice to answer. He just crushed her into a hug and held on tight. Sarah gasped a little when she moved her neck, but found a comfortable spot to lay her head. He held her for a few moments before standing them up slowly. He looked her up and down. The trek wasn't easy and having not eaten much in a week and a half was starting to show on her. His eyes grew in concern, but she shook her head. She whispered, "Kaim, let's get out of here. I know it's not the best idea, but let's leave to Gohtza. It's maybe a half a mile from here." She looked to want to say more, but she held her throat in pain and coughed a little.

Kaim understood. They would want to leave before any curious eyes came wandering back to see what came out of his arrival. Kaim shrugged out of his coat and out of the sweaters he wore. Sarah almost objected but he knew she wasn't wearing much anyway, and so she relented. She pulled two sweaters over her head and pulled on her cloak. Kaim made sure she was secured, wore his gloves around her sore fingers, and warm before putting his coat on and finding his sword.

Sarah took one last look at the man on the floor, blank eyes staring at the ceiling. With a frown she drew her hood up. Kaim did the same.

. . .

Sarah was holding Kaim's hand tightly when he placed the money on the counter at the hotel they were staying at. This place was a little fancier than they had been to before, but knew that Kaim didn't want to risk any security by sleeping in a lesser, probably more criminalized, inn. Not when these bandits were still lingering around Gohtza. The inn keeper eyed them suspiciously, and Sarah couldn't blame him. They were practically hanging onto each other to stand, and looked a mess. She thanked him any way as he handed over their key. She kept hold of his hand all the way to their room and only let it go so that they could pull off their winter gear.

She was worried about him. The whole trip to the city he was quiet, but not the same quiet he always was. She was used to the warm quiet, the listening calm he exuded when they were together. This time his eyes darted around and would linger on her for a moment before shying away to the ground, like he was embarrassed or ashamed of something. So she held onto his hand and squeezed it when he looked away, refusing to let it go until now.

Sarah peeled off her sweaters and straightened out her skirt. Kaim rested his hands on her arms. He seemed to frown as he gently squeezed and probed the thin limbs. "When was the last time you ate?" His voice was soft, but dry. The tone higher than normal. Sarah's throat still ached and all she could manage was a halfhearted shrug and a shake of her head.

His grip tightened, and Sarah noticed the tremble in him. Almost like he was trying to suppress a comment. She studied his face and saw that his frown deepened into a scowl and his brow knit together in anger. There wasn't need for that now, what happened had happened and it didn't matter. She raised her hands and placed them on his chest, dislodging the look and his own hold on her. Kaim blinked for a moment before dipping out away from her concerned expression and out of the room.

He came back a few minutes later with a bowl of warm soup and bread. "They were able to reheat what they served for dinner here. I don't think it'll upset your injuries any further. Soak the bread before you chew it." He was all business and Sarah knew it was because he wanted to avoid talking about the past few weeks or the past few years. He set down the bowl in front of her and turned around to pull off his shirt. Sarah decided not to bring up whatever was bothering him at the moment and filled herself up, slowly, with the thin soup.

Kaim folded his clothing and tended to the fire in the room as Sarah finished her dinner and placed the tray outside of the door. She then maneuvered herself out of her heavy skirt and down to her shift. Her shift got caught as she was pulling off her shirt, and it raised above her underclothing, exposing her middle. She felt him get up before she saw him, and heard the gasp before she turned around. "I don't look that great," she whispered, adjusting her night shift over her body again. She had lost weight not only because she had only ate the crusts of the bread the men ate on this miserable journey, but all the walking too. Underneath the loose material her ribs were protruding out and everywhere else felt a little weak and too thin. It didn't help that she also tended to eat a lot less when Kaim wasn't around, and within the last eight years had lost some weight to begin with. She was trying to work on that part of her life, because she knew that her husband hated that she would forget to eat sometimes.

Kaim looked heartbroken again, and Sarah lifted her hands to his face, trying to smooth away the one tear that rolled down his cheek. She noticed for the first time just how badly he looked, and that he could use some rest with the puffy bags under his eyes. Sarah tried to ignore it, saying, "I'm with you and I will be fine." She smiled, but he didn't return it.

Instead, it looked like he wanted to argue that point, but Sarah just tugged him to the bed in the middle of the room. She pulled him by the hand and folded back the covers. She was feeling cold and sore from the constant winter weather, but with the fire going and the three blankets provided, she was sure to get warm soon. She climbed into bed and looked at Kaim expectantly. He didn't hesitate to follow her in and wrap his arms around her. She ignored his look of despair as she tugged his arms around to bring her in close, and snuggled into his warmth. Kaim was always warmer, always felt like summer. It was this thought that led her to a dreamless slumber.

. . .

In the middle of the night the bed shifted so unexpectedly that Sarah awoke immediately from her sleep. She let her eyes adjust in the dying firelight to the sitting form of Kaim, hunched over. She thought maybe he was just trying to rub his eyes but then she saw the outline of him shake. The bed started to move with it.

"Kaim?"

The shaking stopped and Kaim was on his feet. His voice was hoarse as he said, "I didn't mean to wake you. Go back to sleep."

Sarah moved and caught his hand before he could leave the bedside. She didn't say anything, just guided him back into the blankets. When she finally got him to turn to her, she could see the unshed tears. She took her hands and started her routine of smoothing down his hair, but even that relaxing motion couldn't stop the hitched breathing and the wild look as he stared into her eyes. It was almost as if he couldn't believe she was laying here, breathing next to him. She frowned, wanting to pull him out of this melancholy. She pulled his hair into one hand and pulled on it lightly in a sort of teasing way. "Do you want to talk about it?" she asked.

He shook his head. "I just want to sleep."

He hadn't had a good rest in such a long time. Her heart pulled for him.

Sarah nodded. She was so very used to healing and white magic that she could perform a simple sleep spell without a staff as a conduit. "Close your eyes, then. I'll help you sleep." His eyes fluttered closed, and she took a deep breath in. "Breathe in and out, Kaim. Like this." He matched her breathing and slowly she could feel the tension leave his body. She held his face in her hands, thumbs rubbing slow circles across his cheeks. She focused her magic energy on her fingers and as she breathed out next, so did the spell.

He relaxed almost immediately, breathing evening. She could only hope he didn't have any nightmares. "Maybe no dreams at all," she said aloud to herself as she tucked the blankets around her sleeping husband.

. . .

Kaim woke up. It was like waking up from being reborn. No dreams or nightmares, just a black nothingness and then suddenly there's light and whatever else was in the room. He wasn't at home, and he tensed ready for action before the flood of memories came back to him. He was suddenly sitting up, searching for Sarah.

She had jumped a little from where she was sitting across the room. "I think I over did that sleep spell!" She came over to the bed, dragging a chair with her. "You've been asleep for three days."

"Days?" he asked groggily, tongue still too thick to say more. It was like his senses were trying to catch up to his body. He shielded his eyes from the too bright light that streamed through the window, and suddenly everything felt loud. The sleep spell was still lingering in his system, and he had trouble keeping his eyes open. Sarah lay a hand on his bare chest, and that seemed to help center himself. She grabbed a staff that was leaning against the wall by the bed and concentrated a warm energy into his body. He could feel the last of the sleep spell drain away, leaving him feeling better than he had in a long while.

He took a look at Sarah. She was looking better, though the bruises on her neck still stood out an ugly purple and yellow against her pale skin. Her voice wasn't raspy, so her vocal chords must have healed. She didn't seem weak from hunger or exhaustion any more, and she was wearing her glasses on her face again.

She smoothed her fingers across his chest and breathed in. "I've been healing you while you slept," she said, setting the staff down, but keeping that one hand on him. "You weren't really hurt, but I know your body hasn't been getting properly taken care of in the last few weeks. Found my glasses in your things! Thank you for finding them! Oh! I bought another staff, didn't take me too long to get used to it. Sorry, might have borrowed some money from you. I mean we _are_ married, and I guess what's mine is yours and what's yours is mine, but I'll repay you when we go back home! The weather has been nice but it's still so very cold! It's normally colder up here anyway, righ—?"

Kaim stopped her talking with a kiss. One that was full of longing and a little desperate. It had been too long since he had really kissed her like this, and he was feeling a little guilty over the neglect of it. When he pulled away he was rewarded with her slight blush, lips a little swollen from the force behind their meeting. He laughed a little and smiled for the first time in what seemed like a long time. She looked very pleased at his smile, hers matching his. "I'm sorry," he said after a moment.

"For what?"

"Everything." Kaim looked away momentarily. One thing he had come to realize on the way back from that forsaken cabin was that he was the one who gave that man that scar on his face. Those men were the leftovers of those bandits he disbanded almost a month before. They must have wanted to get Sarah as revenge, and he was lucky enough to get to them before they did something to her that was worse than death. Flashes of the scenes from this war came back to him. He sat momentarily stunned when he remembered the poor women and what had been done to them, until the hand on his chest came to cup his cheek.

"There is no need to apologize. You came and we got out."

"But it was my fault!" He wanted to say more but Sarah leaned in and gave him little peck on the lips. He frowned and she laughed. She used his own strategy against him.

"I can take care of myself, Kaim. You know that. Even if you hadn't gotten there when you did, we would have eventually found each other."

Kaim couldn't help the tears he found welling up in his eyes. He thought he'd be cried out already, but that didn't stop them anyway. "You don't know…you don't know what they did! I had dreams—nightmares about them, and what they could do to you." He couldn't find the words to go on.

"One day you'll tell me," she said, all love in her voice. He relaxed just a little. "And I'll listen and try to understand everything you have experienced and saw. So when you're ready, promise me you'll tell me. You don't have to describe it, I don't want you to relive anything, but please." Sarah was smiling and he couldn't ignore that. He nodded. "And if you need help sleeping again, just ask! I've got a new staff, you already know, and this time I won't make it a three day sleep!"

He laughed a little. He could tell that Sarah had taken that as an improvement in mood, and it was just a little. He still couldn't shake the anxiety off fully, but he thought maybe he could finally take his first tiptoeing step towards talking about the last eight years. He pulled the covers out and stepped onto the warm floor. He stretched a little, feeling his sore muscles protest. He rubbed one arm and then realized he hadn't showered since before he started his journey. He shuddered a little and knew he needed to clean himself up.

With a bit of a mischievous look, he pulled Sarah out of her chair. "I'm going to shower, and I think you should come with me."

Sarah rolled her eyes, but laughed when he tugged at her dress. She shooed his hands away from her clothes, but after a moment grabbed onto his arm and towed him towards the bathroom. She looked back him, saying, "alright, alright, but you have to rub my back! I am in need of a good massage!"

Kaim let the smile come to him easy, and hummed in response at her request.


	3. First Few Letters

_TO Sarah S., Tosca:_

Hello,

You have probably noticed this now but this is the first letter I have written to you since our vacation. I am in Khent. Not much to report. I'll be going through the Ipsilon Mtns soon. May not write for a little while. Write to Uhra, Tolsan's Inn, if you would like. Be there in a week.

With love,

Kaim

. . .

 _TO Kaim Argonar, Tolsan's Inn, Uhra:_

Kaim,

I did notice this was your first letter. You did just leave.

I hope I don't talk your ear off. Or, well, write. Write your eyes out? Is that a correct saying? I must ask around! Although the people of Tosca are less traveled. Perhaps you could ask around? Uhra is such a big city! And full of interesting people!

Speaking of interesting people, Tobias has returned! He came back the day after you left! Did you see the poor man on your way back down the cliffs? He's been through a lot. I gave him some medicine for a nasty cough he's had for a month! I have been using my white magic on his leg. It's got a nasty wound, some sort of fight with an animal he says. Like this old man should be fighting! He's not a warrior, Kaim! Just a simple medicine seller! All of the herbs we grow here in Tosca shouldn't be worth his life! But he just brushed it off, telling me that he is making another trip west soon.

If you happen to see him in his travels let him know that Sarah is thinking of him. I wonder how many more trips a fifty-six year old can make with such a bad leg.

I am fine. Okay. Still a bit rattled. I haven't made it back down to the boat to get my things, but I'm sure anyone who would try to take anything will be surprised that, 1) I've charmed the chests to be unlockable, and also very heavy, unless you're me, and 2) that there really isn't much to be taken. I should go and clean. Oh no! I've just remembered that we didn't clean up from the last time we were on it! Ah! That blood is going to be baked into that wood! Any tricks on getting that out? Maybe I'll go soon to get that cleaned.

No research trips planned on my end! Tosca's having a bit of a dry season. I know, I know. I won't use my magic to help the crops, but with that going on I feel like I should stay for a little while. Besides, Marta is having her baby soon (I still believe it's a boy!), and I just wouldn't feel right not knowing how that little baby arrived into the world! The midwife should be here soon. Hopefully, she has a nice trip!

Kaim as you know I'm thinking of you! Uhra's army will get into shape with you in their ranks! Though I don't necessarily agree with the reasoning behind the King's orders, I know you're just trying to do right by the Uhran people. Please be safe! I don't want to hear about you dying out there. (I know you'll just get right back up.)

I miss you.

Forever Yours,

Sarah

(P.S. Is that too much? We didn't really talk about what was over stepping boundaries in our relationship. Please let me know if 'Forever Yours' is on your no-no list. Along with pet names. I can't bear to think that you think I'm being too…clingy? I'm not that kind of woman. If I am ever that kind of woman, let me know. I will put a stop to it. I'm just worried, you know. I ramble.)

. . .

 _TO Sarah S., Tosca:_

Talk your ear off, not write, according to several people around the Inn.

Will do about Toby, though unlikely I'll see him.

Let me know if Marta has a boy or a girl.

Not sure about the ship. Maybe baking soda and vinegar? Might make it smell bad.

'Forever Yours' is not on my no-no list. I don't think I have one of those.

Miss you too, Pumpkin-Bear,

Kaim

* * *

*Note this chapter is in reference to my last chapter in my story To Die. It'll make more sense if you read that chapter first! But it's not totally necessary, as this is just some silly letters.


	4. Gongora

Sarah heard a heavy knock. She looked at the time, and grew worried that somehow she had forgotten a visit from a villager, or that Kaim had mentioned he was coming around in a letter. _No, he's off fighting for a small village in the west. Who could this be?_

Sarah rushed to put some items back in place when the knock came again, "I'm sorry, one moment!" Looking around and giving up on cleaning, she prepared an apology speech in her head as she went to her front door.

Outside of it stood a very tall man with a very clean goatee. He was dressed in traveling robes, though somehow the white linen was brighter than her bleached sheets on her own bed. She wondered if he really was doing any traveling on foot at all. He carried with him a golden staff, which told Sarah that he knew magic, but she could practically feel the energy oozing off him even as she was opening her door. There was a power coming from him she had never felt before, and she would be lying if she said it didn't intimidate her a little bit. She took in a deep breath through the nose, centering her own energy as not to appear weak and uncontrolled, before opening her mouth to speak.

"Sarah Sisulart, I presume?" Sarah let the air out in a little hiss and stared. The man's dark brow furrowed, as he bowed low. "Do forgive my intrusion."

"I'm sorry." Sarah couldn't pinpoint him. He looked vaguely familiar, but she could not recall his name. "You are?"

"Gongora, a lowly mage from Uhra." He stood up tall. "Though in our would I could have been a high priest."

"Our world?" Sarah could only assume two things: this Gongora was the immortal they hadn't met yet, and that he was lying about being a lowly mage. Sarah pushed the frame of her glasses up from her nose. "Well, I must apologize again. I can see that you are not lying about what you are, but I do not know what you mean about our world."

Gongora frowned. "You don't remember?"

Sarah gave a little smile and shrug of shoulder. "Can't say that I recall anything before waking up here."

"Don't you think it mysterious?" It was almost like he was speaking to himself. Sarah almost answered, but he jumped onto the next topic. "Ah, well, Miss Sisulart I've traveled a long way to invite you to my studies. I was on my way back to Uhra when I heard the curious rumor of a mountain witch." He gave her a toothy smile that did more to send a chill down her back than reassure her of his nature. "One that has lived an extended life." 

"I'm sorry, Gongora, was it? I have my own studies here. And even if we are immortal kin, we have only just met." Sarah gave him her most regrettable smile. "I cannot travel with you."

Gongora tipped his head a little. "May I ask what could convince you?"

"I don't think you have anything to offer that would sway me, sir." Sarah inched herself into her doorway a little more. "So, I am sorry you traveled all this way. There's an inn not even five houses from here if you need a rest. The only way to go from there is by sea, or north to Gohtza." Sarah gave the man a little curtsy, and Gongora returned his bow with a frown. "Have a good rest."

Sarah shut the door, leaving her hand on the wood. In an instant a barrier surrounded her home and she felt a marginal safer behind the closed door. _I'm sure if he really wanted to he could break this wall down. I've never felt such strange power_ , she thought to herself.

She glanced out the small window that sat to the left of the door. Gongora was walking, head held high, down the dirt road towards the Inn. She frowned again. "What was that all about?"

. . .

Sarah was just testing the water that was coming from the waterfall the following day when she bumped into the immortal stranger. He bowed, though this time Sarah didn't reciprocate. "Hello, Miss Sisulart."

"Did you sleep well?" Sarah didn't move from her spot on the ground. She held her hand in the water for a moment more before pulling her hand from it. She looked up at the man and realized how terrifyingly towering he truly was. He seemed to look down on her, as if she was lesser, despite the smile he wore on his face. The man hummed, and Sarah stood up to cut the distance between their heads.

"The Inn was comfortable. I've come to ask again—"

"Sir, we still don't know each other. You can't expect me to just leave with you—"

"Haven't you ever been curious?" he interrupted. Sarah allowed him to continue, sure that he would have interrupted her again anyway. "Where we come from, why we were sent here? Don't you want to remember why we were brought upon this world?"

Sarah couldn't lie. She had been researching everything there was to know about this earth but came no closer to her origins. All she knew was of a glittering space, a mirror, and four distant faces. She could fill the faces of Kaim, Seth, and now this Gongora; the Immortal Queen she hadn't had the chance to see yet. She did often wonder where they came from. "It is a little bit peculiar."

"Then I have the answer for you." Sarah twisted her mouth, feeling her objection bubble just underneath the surface. "All you need to do is come with me to Uhra."

"I'm sorry—"

"Would it help if you had Argonar here with you?"

Sarah's ears perked up at that. But how did he know of Kaim?

"You're probably wondering why I asked? Well, these past centuries I have been working on my magic and found I have a natural knack in knowing."

Sarah didn't find that answer to be very impressive. Gongora could see it. "I know that it's not a thrilling explanation, but I can guarantee you will be able to see him in our travels. In fact, we would be heading his way."

It had been a year since she had seen her stubborn Kaim. She missed his presence and touch more than she thought was possible. The last letter she received from him was a little worrying, and the battle he was fighting was not near finished. That letter also happened six months ago, and there hasn't been a word from him since. But she also knew that she shouldn't go to him as that would be even more of a distraction. She shook her head. "I can't get into Kaim's way. What he fights for is very important."

"But what if I tell you that the battle is not swaying in his favor?" Sarah's eyes met his, and she was not going to look away. "What could an opposing enemy do to an undying prisoner? I don't mean to sound…devious, but I'm sure he could use our help."

Sarah knew he was being just that, and made note of Gongora's manipulative behavior, though the worry for Kaim was giving her that pull that he wanted. "How can I really trust you knowing that? I haven't heard from Kaim in months!"

"And why is that?" he asked her with eyes dancing. He had a point and she did not like it. "How can I know? Well, there really is only one way to find out." Sarah narrowed her eyes. His words were working, and she did not appreciate where this was going. Gongora shrugged and continued with a chuckle, "besides what's the worst I could do? Kill you? I'll give you my word I won't. I would really like your company and thoughts on our homeland. We'll save your lover along the way."

Sarah, with a tight nod, gave her assent. She was sure if she didn't he would be back the next day with a new scheme.

. . .

Traveling with this tall immortal was a lot more pleasant than Sarah thought it would be. He was very respectful of her and her comfort, and paid for all accommodations, but Sarah was still wary. She couldn't figure him out. Was it his arrogance? His thoughts on mortal life? His presumptions on her or anything around them?

He was an interesting traveling companion, if anything. He had a lot to say, too, leaving Sarah quiet longer than she had ever been with another person in the vicinity. He was an inventor, creating magic and potions Sarah could only dream about. While he did admire her knowledge of healing and barrier spells, one that he even admitted to having less experience with, she had a feeling he still thought himself above all her skill. She had to admire his power, too, though with an edge of caution. He could use his knowledge for personal gain, and that's not what this world needed. Now, she could only figure that his interests lay in learning more about this world and why it connects to their home world, and she prayed to whatever gods were listening that it stayed that way.

Sarah can say she learned a lot about him and herself on the two-week journey west.

But all thoughts left when they reached their destination.

The village was desecrated. Fires burned down half of the buildings and the other half were used by the soldiers. Sarah held onto her staff as she made her way into the streets. The smell of devastation was one that Sarah had never experienced before. Rot and smoke seemed to be baked into the wood and stone streets by the unwavering sun. Men lay dying, moaning, hurt, bleeding all around her, and there didn't seem to be an end to it. Her healer-mode kicked into full gear as she stepped more into the village, and the healing spells were tumbling out of her mouth as she burst from her spot on the street to the first soldier she could reach.

"M-Miss, thank…thank you." The soldier was watching as his wound slowed in bleeding and stitched itself together with her zephyr.

"You'll be okay. Where are your medics?"

"Um. There's one…she's in that building just over there." The soldier lifted himself off the ground, looking like he had never been able to before in his life. "She's…swamped."

Sarah took her staff, thanked the gods she wore her traveling trousers, and made her way into the building that was pointed out to her. She opened the door, and the smell stopped her in her tracks.

The war took a toll on these men and women. She had never seen so many people hurt in one setting. Soldiers lay bandaged and unmoving. She wondered if half of them were even breathing. Her eyes scanned the crowd, and she felt the tears run down her face. The dense force of misery was just as unending as her life. Were there more people out there fighting? Were there to be more mortals throwing their lives away? She took in a staggering breath and steeled herself. She maneuvered around the cots and found one woman at the front, moving from person to person. She was barking out orders to what looked to be normal villagers, and she could tell they too had never seen the outcome of war this close as they jumped from assignment to assignment.

"Are you the medic?"

She twisted her head around to the sound of Sarah's voice, hands still rubbing antiseptic on the soldier's forehead before her. "Yes?"

"Point me to those who need healing most."

The woman gave her a confused look, but then glanced at Sarah's staff. Making a swift decision, and without any more hesitation, she pointed to a corner. Sarah made her way.

She didn't need her staff for this part, so she set it by the wall, and instead placed her hands over the mortals' chests. Within a moment their labored breathing evened, and she was moving onto the next two. Sarah didn't know how long she kept it up, but eventually a gentle hand stopped her. She looked into the wide eyes of the medic. "Ma'am! You've gone around the whole room!"

Sarah looked around. Indeed, she had placed her hands above every man and woman in the building, and most were already sitting up and staring back at her in wonder. No one had seen the healing spell before, and she thought that maybe this little place had never seen a mage in their lifetime. It was only a simple spell she was casting, and it almost made her laugh at how silly the thought was. Instead of humor and relief, Sarah looked at her own hands that shook. She didn't even realize how much energy it took to remedy the dozens of people she just cured. Sarah pulled her traveling pack off her back and searched around for something to help stop the buzzing.

She dug around until she finally felt a cool cylinder. She pulled it out and remembered what Gongora had said. " _It will restore your magical energy in an instant! Can help you keep going for another few hours, and I've created some that will let me—us—not tire for days if we need it,"_ she remembered. She popped off the cork and drank every drop. She felt herself recharge, the feeling starting in her stomach and moving across her body in dazzling sparks. She looked at the drink and turned to compliment its creator. "Gongora, this medicine is spectacular. How did you—?"

But Gongora wasn't there. She glanced around the room and tried to think back to when they arrived. Did he even step foot into the village? All she could remember was jumping at the chance to help. She felt a heat of anger flash onto her mind, and her hands curled into fists. _I can't believe he would just leave! That he would just disappear!_ The bitter thought rattled her as she stuffed the empty canister back into her bag. She was just about to swing it onto her back and go look for the bastard when the door opened. "Another one down! He's bled a lot."

Kaim was laid down on the first available cot. Sarah was over to him without another thought wasted. He was sweating and pale, breathing was wet, and she was crying. Her hands moved to pull off his armor. She had no idea how it worked and found that her panic rising was not helping her shaking fingers. "Help me!" she ordered with a shout and a sniffle. The men jumped into action and together they had the armor off in seconds. The sword that pierced through his chest plate had broken off into him. Enough of it stuck out that it could be pulled out, but it could kill him if not done right. With tears running down her cheeks, she looked down to the rest of him. There were multiple deep cuts running along his arms and legs, though Sarah noted that they were healing slowly to her trained eye. It meant that his immortal body wasn't giving up yet, and that gave her the courage to try and save his life. Then all she needed to worry about was the broken sword in his chest.

She waved the medic over. "I'm going to ask that you pull this out as I am casting my spell." Sarah wiped her at her eyes, but saw the medic nod stoically. Sarah knew this lady had steady hands, and should be able to pull this out with ease. Hopefully, if Kaim died no one would notice. She didn't want to explain that one to the people around her. She nodded to the medic and placed her hands on Kaim's chest. The blood began to soak through her sleeves, but she kept her hands in place. She felt the healing warmth of zephyr roll out from her fingertips and when she felt Kaim's breathing become less labored, Sarah gave her the signal.

With both hands, the woman carefully and quickly pulled the sword out of Kaim. Kaim gasped, eyes blinking open. The wound was healed as quickly as it was made, but Kaim's thrashing was not helping the spell to keep the wounds closed. Sarah threw herself on top of him to keep him from moving, hands firmly rooted onto his chest to keep the zephyr connection live. She could see his eyes burning with war before turning to confusion, and—when he finally looked down to Sarah still on top of him; still casting her spell—settling on surprise. "Sarah?"

She could only smile and lean her head into his shoulder. Kaim's fingers came to rest on the back of her head and that's when she finally stopped the spell to enfold him into her own arms. She couldn't stop the tears from flowing, though they were from relief to not see him die. He didn't say anything else, instead just holding her still as she lay on top of him.

. . .

Sarah quietly listened to negotiations Kaim was having with the general of the opposing army. The war was on a standstill, neither side winning or losing, just dying. Casualties from both sides were great, and both sides were tired. Kaim was trying to find any kind of middle ground to keep them on, and the enemy general was doing the same.

Sarah watched as their talk finally settled on an end. She held her tongue on the matter, and waited until Kaim tiredly sat in the chair next to her. "All that for a sheep farm? A farm!"

"Wars have been fought for sillier things," Kaim said, without a hint of amusement. He rubbed his face and Sarah found herself holding her tongue again, as she placed a hand on his shoulder. She rubbed her palm in a circular motion, letting a little magic energy transfer to him. It was enough to keep him awake more than healing. "Thanks,"

"How are you feeling?"

"Better."

But not the best, she reminded herself. The less words he used the more emotionally drained he was. Sarah knew. She had known this for the three hundred years they have been in contact with each other. She pulled herself out of the chair holding her hand for him to join her. He accepted it, and held it as they walked out of the tent and into the campsite.

Sarah looked around at the once enemy's troop. Just like Kaim's side, men lay around waiting their mortal death. Sarah looked over at Kaim, and without a word he nodded. She set to work healing those she could save while he went to inform the general of what she would do.

Helping those in need came naturally for Sarah. She hated the thought of another person dying and the sadness that went down the line. People would be losing sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, and that pain was unbearable. At least that's what she had learned from those who were willing to speak of it.

"Aren't you from the other side?" The soldier looked warry of the immortal woman, but Sarah laid a hand on him anyway. He gasped as his wounds stitched themselves together.

"Rest. You've earned it." Sarah patted his shoulder. "Go home after all of this is over."

"Y-yes." And Sarah walked on to the next.

. . .

"You met him? Gongora?" Sarah nodded, sipping her tea. She was feeling even more wore out than before, and refused to drink another one of those magical remedies.

It was the second day inside of the village and Kaim was taking a break from helping the mortals prepare for what the outcome of the war was going to bring. He was feeling recharged physically, and was attempting to get out of the habit of isolation that war always brought to him. Sarah was his first victim, and he was not playing nice. "And you just left the safety of Tosca and walked with him over here? Sarah, you don't—"

"I don't even know him," she finished for him, setting her cup down. "I know."

"He could have hurt you!" She watched as he pinched the bridge of his nose, and knew that he was trying to calm down. "If he had done anything to you."

"He didn't."

"It doesn't matter that he didn't!" Kaim was losing his own battle, and all the weariness and edge was coming back to his tone. "From the sounds of it he could have overpowered you very easily! You don't just agree to walk a week—"

"It took two." Sarah watched Kaim's eyes narrowed and set a glare on her. She rolled her own, and bit into the dry, hard bread that was offered to her before this conversation started. "Nothing happened! And if had killed me, it wouldn't of matter anyway!" It wasn't the best thing to say, and she knew it as soon as the words left her mouth; but she found herself wanting to fight this battle. She was not a weak person, and Kaim knew that. Even though she recognized he couldn't see that now. Not through his anger.

Kaim sat forward in his seat, and said voice low and dark, "there are worse things than death, Sarah."

She swallowed the bread with a cringe. She didn't think of that. Not exactly. "You're right," she admitted with another swig of tea to help the bread go down. Everything about war was terrible. Even the food.

Kaim sat back, and he could see in the way his shoulders raised up and his arms crossed that he was ready for another spat, but Sarah was going to let him win. Though, not without a few more words of her own. "Kaim, he knew you were going to be hurt. He knew that you and these mortals would need help. I don't know how he knew, but he did. He had me worried about you."

Kaim sighed, uncrossing his arms. The battle was over, he had won, though victory did not ease him out of his apprehension. He reached for her hand across the table, calloused thumb smoothing over her skin. "You know I would have been fine."

"I know." Sarah looked away from his hand, and looked out into the street through the window. "But if I didn't come what about these lives?"

"Sarah, by now you know how war works."

"It doesn't make it any easier." She frowned and rubbed at her eyes with her free hand. The past few days put her world in another perspective, one that she had never experienced. Before, she was just the healer who would help from a far distance. Those who were suffering after they had come home she would cure. Never had she seen the destruction of war so close, and hoped to never have to live through it again. She didn't have the heart for it.

Kaim squeezed her hand and she looked over at him. "Everyone is thankful for what you did. Because of you, this village won't be abandoned. Both sides were just about wiped out, and with it the village would have been deserted for a new town to immigrate to. But now there's a chance, and it was because of your healing."

Sarah sighed. "But if I had not come it wouldn't have been that cheery."

"Death will never be cheery no matter who wins or loses." Kaim leaned his head into his hand, looking out the same window. "Mortals might parade around if they have won the war, but who wins when even one death occurs because of a disagreement?"

"No one wins. Not really," Sarah agreed. "I guess at least there's some life left living."

Kaim gave her a small smile. "And it was because of your help."

Sarah laughed. "Why are you cheering me up? I should be helping you."

Kaim shook his head, the smile still on his face. "I'm a lost cause. A tired old soul that's seen too much. I'll be fine. You on the other hand? Who knows."

Sarah playfully hit his arm. Kaim chuckled.

. . .

They stayed in the village for another month. Sarah set out to make her muscle's stronger by helping Kaim and the village remake their homes. By the time the middle of fall had swept through the small place, they had a few new homes built, and families sharing whatever they had with each other. Sarah watched as the mortals took care of one another, and it made her smile. She won't ever forget the kindness that presents itself after tragedy, and it helped renew her vigor in building.

Kaim looked up into the setting sun. "It'll take some time to move back towards Tosca. It'll be colder and probably snowing."

Sarah hummed in agreement. While neither of them had any heavy winter clothing on them, there would be plenty of stops to purchase some. She continued to walk, Kaim following. "Should we be thinking of leaving?"

Kaim only nodded. "I think they can handle themselves from here on out."

They made it to where they were staying, thanking the kind couple again for their generosity. They moved to the room at the top floor of the home. Sarah fell into the small bed she managed to fit in with Kaim, and closed her eyes. "I'm not ready for winter."

Kaim agreed, sitting on the bed next to her. "Not ready for all that cold mountain air?"

"Not at all," Sarah said with a sigh. She rubbed her arms thinking of the weather they were too experience in the next few weeks. _If only we could go someplace warmer_ , she thought to herself. She opened her eyes, an idea hitting her. "How about Uhra?"

"How about it?"

"Let's go see what that Gongora is up to."

Kaim's mouth twisted into a grimace. "From your interactions with him, I don't think I really want to meet him."

"Why not? He knows a lot of information, and I am still a little curious about where we have come from. His magical power is awe inspiring, I hate to admit, but he might be coming close to a breakthrough in his study of it. So?"

"I'm afraid I might lose my temper and give him a taste of my hands." Kaim lay back with her, meeting Sarah's blinking eyes. "He traveled all this way with you only to leave you to the dogs."

"You know." Sarah lifted a hand to Kaim's cheek, a delirious smile spreading across her face. His brow knitted together, trying and failing to anticipate her next sentence. "I would really love it if you broke his nose."

It was the first time she heard Kaim laugh, really laugh, in a long year, and Sarah found it was exactly what she needed to hear.


	5. Sarah Remembers

Sarah was busily putting away books from the trip to their old mansion. The old run-down home on the cliff by the sea held secrets in every corner, but it was too hard for their family to live there. Memories haunted the immortals, though for different reasons. Sarah sighed, looking at her husband as he watched over Mack's studies.

Kaim was haunted by what used to be there. The life he shared with Sarah and Lirum.

Sarah was haunted by what she couldn't remember. Why couldn't she recall anything that happened within those many halls? Why did Kaim pick up that purple journal of hers with such a somber expression? Did she once share with him the contents of that journal? She stared at the books in front of her. She had read them all after she had lost her memory and the only thing she could pull up, the only feeling she could muster, was a chilling sadness. Sadness that she could only read about her adventures with her husband, but not actually remember them happening.

She knew that she enjoyed her time with Kaim, and knew in her heart that she loved him, but after he would fall asleep at night she was left wondering why she felt that way. When was the moment she knew he was the man she had loved? She wrote it in her journal, yes, but suspected that she had fallen for her fellow immortal beforehand. When would that connection return? Did Gongora really break her so badly that their history would never come back to her memory? Was she left to try and fill that gaping blackness, only to never succeed?

After the mad magician was defeated, and during the first few months after, she wasn't bothered about her memory loss. It was only after noticing Kaim was ready to jump back into what they had before that made her pause. During their journey there was always the threat of their enemy on their minds, and their grandchildren to worry about. There wasn't time for awkwardness and fumbled routine; but now that their crisis was over, how could she jump back into something she couldn't remember? Every time Kaim moved to do something for her, or initiate a touch, she jumped. He would hesitate, but Sarah, not wanting him to feel guilty, forced herself to return the gestures. There was familiarity in his hand, but no recollection of the warmth of the past hundreds of years, and it left her feeling empty inside. She would squeeze her eyes shut at night and hope that something would come in the morning, only to be left hollow when she would awake.

How long should she try to remember? Another century or two? Another thousand years? The thought made her ache. She could feel the anxiety of that wait creep into her spine, curving and constricting around her muscles. She craved for any memory, however small, to just show up. Nothing ever did, and it left her sleepless.

How long could this last?

. . .

"From what I read, she really liked gardening with me when she was young."

Kaim paused in tiling, looking over at Sarah. Her mouth was twisted, and her eyes cast aside as she held a little tomato plant in her hand. He could tell that she was getting lost in her confusion, trying to remember what wasn't there, and he hated seeing that. He set the hoe on the ground, resting a hand to Sarah's shoulder. The weight seemed to drag her down, and soon he had an arm wrapped around her trying to hold her up. "Oh, Kaim! Every moment I feel like I'm reminded that I'm incomplete."

"You're not."

"But I am!"

Sarah jerked away from him, setting the small plant onto the ground before pulling her knees to her chest. Kaim masked the hurt he felt from the rejection with a quick sigh, and waited for Sarah to look at him. She always did, even if it took some time. "I'm sorry." She still wasn't facing him, though her shoulders shook. "I'm such a mess."

"It'll come back."

"And what if it doesn't?" Kaim felt his heart tear in two when she finally did turn. Tears drifted down her cheeks, and she wasn't looking for comfort as she flinched away from his hands. "What if I'm stuck here, forever? Lost in this…world! I can't remember how we met, but I've read it like a book! All my journals tell me of these grand adventures, but nothing gives me that feeling—the feeling that I experienced it!" Sarah wiped at her eyes. Dirt smearing on top of her cheeks.

Kaim just gently wiped them away. "I know it's not easy to wait."

"He's robbed me of my life, Kaim!" Sarah shook his hand away, placing her own clasped tightly down on her lap. She let her tears flow. "The nostalgia you experience kills me, Kaim. I want to remember what it was like working a garden with our daughter! I want to remember everything. It's not fair."

Kaim risked enveloping her into a hug. She almost seemed to protest, but gave in as a sob broke through her lips. "I want to remember her. To remember Lirum. I can't believe I don't have these memories, something so precious to me…to us."

"I understand." When Sarah gave him a little scoff muffled into his chest, he shook his head. "You forget that Gongora took away my memories, also. I may have them back, but believe me. I know what it's like to be lost in a fog."

Sarah sniffed. It took her a minute, but she was nodding her head. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright."

"It's not."

"Okay." Kaim pressed a kiss to a newly fallen tear. She seemed to blush, sometimes not expecting the affection he gave her. "It's not alright, but it'll get better. Please give it time. I know it's not what you want to hear, but don't forget we are also making new memories. Ones that even he can't take away. Not now. Not ever."

Sarah's shoulders lifted, and she sat a little straighter. Sometimes he needed that reminder too. It was too easy to dwell into the past. The long black darkness was finally edging away from Kaim, and he forgets that it wasn't leaving Sarah. She was lost and he realized that sometimes he could be a little inconsiderate of that; especially in his touches and conversations. He looked at her, a tiny smile from her lifting him up as he smudged the dirt from her cheek. "Sarah—"

He didn't have any time for any more words to be said as their two grandchildren ran at them from the other side of the field. "Kaaaiiim! Mack _tackled_ me to the ground!"

"Sarah, Cooke _said_ to do it!"

They smiled together as their grandchildren bickered, then finally distracted their argument by helping in their vegetable garden.

. . .

Two years after Seth and Gongora passed through the mirrors, Kaim woke up from a dream. His eyes fluttered open to see the warmth of a new day shine through his window. The dream he had was dark, war driven, but even more than just a story playing out as his mind drifted. It was a memory. He blinked in the morning, letting his body adjust to the feeling of daylight.

It was after he stretched, that he realized something. He felt different. Lighter than he had in the longest of times. He sat still, focusing on himself for a moment. There wasn't anything abnormal in the way he felt physically, but it was still there. Like he was complete. Like something that draped itself heavily around his being had been lifted by a breeze.

He carefully turned to look over at his sleeping wife. Sarah's face was scrunched up in sleep, and he had to be careful not to laugh. It was always like he remembered it. He reached out and, with a steady hand, set a lock of her hair back behind her ear. The slight movement caused her to stir. When her eyes finally focused on his, he could see a darkness in them before she realized just who she was sleeping next to. While the unrecognized way she looked at him always hurt just a little, Kaim knew it wasn't her fault. Instead he welcomed her with a smile. "Good morning."

"Morning." Sarah smiled shyly. Even after two years she was still a little uncertain about herself. He felt a longing in his heart for the way things used to be. "Sleep okay?"

"Good." Kaim hesitated before saying. "Actually, I feel…different."

"Good different?" Sarah snuggled into her pillow a little more. Kaim watched mouth edging into a smile.

"I think." Kaim didn't finish his thought. He knew how sensitive she was to anything that reminded her that she was missing a part of herself. He didn't love her any less for not remembering anything in their past lives, but he didn't want to be that reminder to her. "Lighter, maybe."

"Maybe…something you…ate." Sarah was already snoozing, and the chuckle bloomed out naturally from his chest. Even though she couldn't remember, things were still surprisingly the same. They were making new memories together, and he found that Sarah's true self was slowly shining through. Her stubbornness, her drive, her excitement; they were returning in little bits, and it gave Kaim hope.

Just as he finally feels like Gongora's hold, the last of his lost memories, have flooded back to him during the night; he wished the same would happen to his darling, snoring, wife.

. . .

Sarah was teaching Cooke all she could know about sailing when the first painful migraine attacked. It left her staggering, eyes screwed shut. She gasped for breath, struggling with the little effort it took. She held one hand to her eyes, the other broke her fall to the floor.

"Kaim! Kaim!"

Sarah kept her eyes shut and held hands over her ears as the sounds assaulted her senses. The amount of pain that was coursing behind her eyelids made her wish for death. When strong arms lifted her into the air, she had to take all her willpower not to gag. She hardly ever felt nauseous, and it was a startling feeling. She felt herself being set down onto the softness of a mattress, not daring to open herself up to the light.

"Sarah?"

"I'm going to be—" But before she could finish she was retching over the side of the bed.

She opened her eyes for a moment to see Kaim's concerned ones looking back. "Sorry," came the muttering apology. She closed her eyes again, feeling a heaving sensation rake over her body. She gasped as the chilling wave of nausea swept through her, making her sweat. She pulled her glasses from her face, and Kaim gently took them from her.

"Just lay down."

Sarah did as she was told, leaning over the bed in case she felt the need to vomit again. She could hear Kaim's footsteps getting farther away, Cooke's voice trailing, "is she okay? I've never seen Sarah get sick."

"She'll be okay. Go grab the bucket and fill it with water, please."

Sarah gasped when Kaim's cool fingers tilted her face up. She dared to open her eyes, knowing the light was just going to hurt again. Instead of her stomach rolling though, she felt a warm floating feeling. It took her a second to realize that Kaim was using white magic. "I know…it drains you. You don't have to—"

"Ah, I don't, but I am." Kaim smoothed his thumbs across her cheeks, catching a tear that strayed from her eyes. The circling motion allowed Sarah to relax into the cure. After a minute she could finally open her eyes fully. The rolling in her stomach softened to a gentle rumble; and though the pain behind her eyelids still lingered, she was starting to feel almost all the way better. She accepted the white magic into her body, feeling the strain in her head lesson. "That's better. I'm going to grab your night dress. I don't think you should move much."

Sarah watched as her husband moved away from her and out of the door. She was not in their bedroom, instead being lain in their guest room. She felt suddenly tired, and soon felt her eyelids droop into nothingness.

. . .

Sarah had been laid out for two days. She was eating light, and drinking some, and Kaim was only a little worried about her. It was enough worry, though, to fetch a doctor from Numara.

"Nothing seems abnormal, Mr. Argonar." Kaim shook the doctor's hand. "Let her rest. It sounds like just a migraine. A bad one, but not deathly."

"Thank you," Kaim said, walking the man to the door. He watched as the man walked through the yard, ruffling Mack's hair as he passed by the young boy.

Mack ran up to his immortal grandfather. "Sarah's going to be okay?" He crossed his arms behind his head. "I mean, I know she'll be okay eventually, right?"

Kaim smiled down at his grandson. Mack was the softer of his two grandchildren. While Cooke brought out the feistiness, Mack brought the mellowness. He usually kept a cool head about everything. That is until his sister picked on him for one reason or another. Kaim dipped his head once. "Sarah will be just fine. She just needs a little rest."

.

Kaim was just bringing breakfast, when Sarah stirred from their bed. She had been moved away from the guestroom back into their room so that she could draw the dark curtains tight. The one thing about moving all the way to Numara was that the sun never seemed to get lost behind the clouds. He set the tray down, and caressed his wife's cheek. "Good morning."

"Morning." Sarah smiled, a little strained, but it was genuine. This was the fifth day that she had been out, and Kaim grew worried still the more the days wore on.

Kaim helped her sit up and managed to get her to eat toast before she threw it back up. "Ugh."

"It's okay. Water?"

She took a few sips, and rubbed her eyes. "This reminds me of the time we were in Oyora."

"That first trip was rough," he agreed, taking the glass and setting it back onto the nightstand.

"I threw up all over the floor." Sarah rubbed her stomach. Kaim smiled at the memory despite the mess it made. "That's the first time I ever felt sick. Actually, I think it was the first time I ever threw up! Centuries before I realized the misery of it all."

Kaim stared at Sarah, eyes widening a little. The way she was talking, it sounded like she was pulling this event from her memory, not just a book or journal. "And poor you, having to clean it up. And I never did really apologize for it. I'm sorry. Better late than never, right?" She smiled up at him. Her pale lips stretching thin.

Kaim blinked a few times before replying, "It's alright. How are you feeling?"

"Like I was hit in the face with a very large stone. But better, now that you mention it." She eyed the food that sat on the plate beside her. "Can I try the toast again?"

. . .

Sarah was finally out of bed the seventh day. She jumped right back into life, checking her garden, teaching Cooke about sailing, making sure Mack didn't skip out on his lessons with Kaim, and practicing her magic.

Before she realized it the clock on the wall was striking four. "Have I eaten today?"

"Nope." Cooke smiled up at her grandmother. "Just means you're back to normal right?"

"Don't tell Kaim. He'll kill me. He always hated when I forgot to eat." Sarah clicked her tongue and let Cooke away from the books while she started on dinner.

As she cut the potatoes, her teenaged charge came back into the room. "Need any help?"

"Fill up the big pot, would you? Just like your mother," Sarah said, with a smile. "Always asking to do something. I remember her wanting to help with everything! There was a time we burned two pots of rice because she was so eager to help out with cooking and we got so distracted!"

"I won't get distracted!"

"Well, it was mostly me getting distracted. Okay, Cooke! Just make sure I don't start looking around for things to do!" Sarah laughed. "Be my reminder!"

"Aye, aye!" Cooke said with a little salute. Together they peeled and cut the potatoes, Sarah telling old stories of Lirum as a child.

Sarah laughed as they placed the cut spuds into the pot. "And Lirum cried and cried! Oh! She just couldn't keep her fingers away from anything."

"Who?"

Kaim and Mack walked through the back door. Kaim kissed Sarah's cheek as he walked passed to get to the cupboards. "Your mother. She always had a hand in trying to cook, sew, and even learn magic! Somehow it would seem that magic skipped a generation." She gave her grandson a wink. "She couldn't procure a spell to save a snail!"

The children laughed, but Sarah caught Kaim mid grab of a jar. He was wild eyed staring at her, and it was a little unnerving. She paused in her cutting of carrots and felt a blush rise to her cheeks. "K-Kaim is something the matter?"

That seemed to snap him out. He shook his head. "No. Sorry. Go on."

"Kaim you're so weird!" Cooke suddenly clapped, and Sarah jumped. "You, too, grandma! Chop, chop!"

The immortal woman laughed and let it go.

. . .

Kaim watched as Sarah slept. She was snoring softly, one strand of hair blowing in and out with her breath. Today she was so very talkative, and it wasn't exactly normal. She usually did talk, and Kaim knew she could talk an ear off, but it was different today.

It was as if she was speaking from recollections. Pulling them from her mind and not a journal that lay open or on her shelf. Could she be remembering her past? How could they really know for certain? He watched her sleep for a moment more before letting his own eyes close.

. . .

 _Sarah saw the boat burning beside her, and yet had no urge to douse the flames. Instead she watched as she lifted her hands to her face._

 _They were covered in blood._

 _Panicking, she looked down her front. She saw more crimson, but no wounds. She twisted around, eyes wide and searching. Where was she? Why was she here? There wasn't else on the boat, but why was she covered in blood? Her eyes were captured by the flames which seemed to only be growing and consuming everything around her._

" _Sa…Sarah." She gasped at the sound. He sounded so hurt, wet, and in pain. Where was his voice coming from? She turned around, and there he suddenly lay. Her husband, her Kaim, lay on the boat riddled with bullet wounds. The world seemed to collapse as she too fell to her knees._

 _She found herself leaning over him, at a loss and words failing her._

 _His lips were moving. "Remove…remove."_

 _She was hit with sudden sense of déjà vu. "Remove the bullets," she said._

 _Sarah reached over to touch him, but the world went black, swallowing up the dying immortal man with it. She found herself screaming his name, begging him to come back. "Don't leave me alone! Please!"_

 _She screamed and reached out into the darkness until her voice went hoarse and there came to be a violent shaking underneath her. It shook and shook, and then suddenly_ there he was. Kaim was over her, unharmed. His eyes were wide, his mouth was open in mid-sentence, and Sarah pulled herself out of her blanket, sat forward, and crushed his body with her own. "K-Kaim!" she whispered, throat raw.

"A nightmare?"

"Don't leave me." Sarah sniffled and brought one hand to her eyes and she nestled her chin into the crease of his neck. She felt the wail start in the pit of her stomach, but stamped it out. "Don't leave me again, please. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't save you!"

She felt Kaim rub a soothing circle into her back. It helped her calm down, just like it always did in the past. She sniffed again and lifted her head off him. She pulled open his shirt and lay hands on his chest. The bullet holes would have healed by now, but there were still scars that drew the dots like a map. Thinking about it, she could have sworn she could still feel the sticky, warm liquid, and her fingers digging into his wounds. She gasped as the feeling hit her again, and fresh tears ran down her cheeks. "I-I remember."

Kaim looked down at her just as she finally moved her head to look into his eyes. "I remember, and not just reading it. Kaim, you died."

"I know. But I came back."

"I can't stop thinking about it." Sarah lifted her hands. "I pulled out those bullets one by one, but you still died."

"It's fortunate we are not mortal." Kaim was trying to make light of the situation and Sarah remembered how he always tried to bring laughter into her sorrow. This time around it just made her cry harder. She dropped her head, hoping he wouldn't have to see her cry, but he always knew when she needed him to fold himself around her. She wrapped her arms around him the best she could and continued to shed tears into his nightshirt. "What else can you remember?"

"How cold it was after you found me near Gohtza—I never wrote about that. About the time Lirum stubbed her pinky toe when she was four, and broke the poor nail clean off. I remember all the words to that damn song we heard in Uhra three hundred years ago. I…I think it's starting to come back. Everything I lost, just not everything at once." Sarah lifted her head up suddenly. She quickly pressed her lips against Kaim's throat, and felt his gentle gasp at the intimate touch. Her cheeks were rosy as she whispered, "that time I accidently missed your mouth and found that you like it when I kiss you right here—" Kaim laughed when she kissed him there again.

He brought his hands to her cheeks and lips moved over hers. She recalled how much she loved the feeling; and when she nipped his lower lip, laughed at the way Kaim pulled away. "I'm sorry! I forgot how much you don't like biting!"

She laughed aloud when his fingers attacked the sides of her ribs, and gasped when his hands found her skin underneath her nightshirt. She enjoyed remembering how much she missed this.


	6. Family Interlude Part I

Family Interlude: Part I.

Sarah received a letter, one that she had been looking forward to in the past few months. The writing was so very neat on the envelope, an envelope that she recognized was from Uhra with its textured feel. "To Sarah S., Tosca," she read aloud to herself. She smiled. Kaim was so very methodical in his writing, while Sarah's letters were never the same. Sometimes she'd send letters with practiced calligraphy that waved and weaved throughout the paper, but most of the time it was scratched out like she didn't have enough time to say all that she needed to say. Those were the long letters. Letters she hoped Kaim would be able to decipher.

 _Sarah,_

 _The mission is over, and I am on my way home. It'll take three weeks so there is no need to write back. I think I am ready for a long rest._

 _Kaim_

Three sentences, but that's all she needed.

. . .

"Kaim!"

He smiled when he finally was able to get the door opened. The journey back to Tosca was a long one, and with the mission he had on top of it, it would seem that the little home they shared had gone back into its cluttered mess. "I'm sorry," she said, stopping in her tracks after seeing his puzzled face. He could see a little guilt in her eyes, but it was gone just as fast as it came. By now he should know what happens when he's away for too long. Their little house didn't stand a chance.

He quickly wiped the expression off and replaced it with a smile. He met his wife in the middle of what he remembered to be their living room and wrapped her in a tight hug. All of the weariness from the long five years away seemed to melt away from him. Sarah was the familiarity he'd been dreaming about.

"You know we could just build another house," he commented when they finally pulled away from each other.

Sarah chewed on her lip. Despite the nine hundred years of life they had lived, and the past century and half they have been together, she was very hesitant about change.

. . .

Somehow he convinced her to build a mansion.

"Why would we need so much room?" she had cried.

"With all of your books, we could use two mansions," he had answered.

"It's a waste of resources."

"It's not a waste if we use each space."

"Six bedrooms? Isn't that a little much?"

"One for us, maybe two for guests." He paused. "The rest for any more of us we might have."

Sarah froze, eyes looking at but not really taking in the blueprint in front of her. Had they actually talked about any more of them? The thought twisted her stomach into knots. Children wasn't on her list of things to accomplish in her never ending life. She had resolved some seven hundred years ago that she would never have any. There were too many reasons why, and she hadn't thought she would have to ever explain herself. She glanced up at Kaim, and her heart dropped to her stomach. They'd been married for twelve years now and never once did he mention children. With all of his experiences with family she assumed he wouldn't want any more. She tried to reach out of her mind to say something to soothe the blink of worry Kaim held in his eyes, but he was already onto the next subject. Smoothing the thought over. She blew a tiny sigh of relief as he said, "and here, your own study. One of many. This one is in the basement…"

. . .

One autumn they traveled to Numara. Kaim called their traveling a late honeymoon, since it was the first time they'd visit the magnificent city since they got married.

Ming, ever the graceful Queen and host, gave them access to one of her grandest rooms as a wedding gift. As Sarah tried to refuse the offer, Ming quietly shook her head, and held the bespectacled woman's hands. "You are my honored guests and very good friends, and I would not have it any other way. It is for your wondrous union." She gave the two of them a gentle smile. "Please, rest. I know it is not the kindest trip to get to Numara. We shall catch up in the morning."

Kaim clamped a hand over his wife's mouth, silencing her objections. This earned a little laugh from Ming, as Kaim bowed deep to the Immortal Queen. Sarah followed suit, finally accepting the room. "Thank you, Ming."

"It is no trouble, Kaim."

.

Sarah stared out at the darkening sky through the floor to ceiling window. The clear waves crashed onto the beach in a pleasant rhythm and she felt herself drift into its trance. The room was beautiful and held one of the best views of the ocean she had ever seen. After a nice quick shower, and an even quicker dinner, they had finally managed to relax enough in this new setting. She felt Kaim's presence before his arms snaked around her middle. She laughed as he tickled her sides with his fingers. It didn't stop there and soon she was breathless and leaning into him, feeling a little like jelly.

Kaim kissed her favorite sweet spot on her neck, hands wandering over her. He squeezed her hips a little, and Sarah couldn't stop the surprised gasp that escaped her lips. "A little grabby tonight?" she called out, teasing.

Kaim answered by kissing and then sucking that sweet spot, and Sarah had to practically jump away from him. He caught her mid jump and laughed when she gave him an exasperated look. She could feel her cheeks blossom in heat, and that fluttery feeling sweep through her body at his touch. She managed to squeak out, "You know we married fifteen years ago, and you're acting like we're still newlyweds! Ah, you probably left a _mark_!"

"Well," he said, and Sarah had to bite her lip. The deep vibrato in his voice was only helping _him_ in this situation. He knew she loved the sound of his voice and used that to continue the torture. "Ming _did_ give us this room as a wedding gift. Why don't we take advantage of it?"

"You're so bad." But Sarah didn't shoo away Kaim's grabby hands this time, relishing in the feeling. She gave him a chaste kiss on his lips, and quirked her head toward the bed. "But you do have a point."

.

After a lazy morning breakfast, and more laughs and gasps, Kaim and Sarah finally managed to leave the room. The Queen was held up by her duties until later that afternoon, so they had time to walk around the city.

In Numara there was always something new to look at. This was the least visited place for them both, so any time spent wandering was always a learning experience. Today, Sarah was looking at Numara's nature.

Kaim watched as Sarah gushed over the plants on the edge of the city. He smiled as she gently felt the silky petal between fingers. "Tenderflora is what they are called, according to the people. They grow everywhere in Numara."

She sat down into the grass, and sketched the flower into her notebook. Kaim watched as she made her notes, before reaching down to pluck a bloom. "They say these flowers can make anyone very happy." He twisted the stem lightly, letting the fragrant smell lift towards him.

Sarah looked up, shutting her book and hummed in agreement. Kaim tucked the tenderflora behind her ear, and watched as a smile flitted to her face. "I guess that it's true."

Kaim kissed Sarah's reddened cheek, chuckling at her embarrassment that she could never hide, and folded his hand into hers. They began their walk back towards the city. It was nearing noon and it was a good time to find something to eat. The market was busy, but they were able to find a little vendor selling different kinds of sandwiches. They chose their meal, paid the gentleman, and found a little bench to sit on.

Kaim and Sarah ate in comfortable silence. He liked the warm calmness of Numara, which was quite different than the magical haze of Uhra, or the dark cold of Gohtza. Here people chatted happily and everyone seemed to like each other. There were fewer homeless, and even those who maybe lived in the streets were taken care of. It was a nice change of pace for the two of them, and one they always soaked in for they didn't know when they would be able to come back.

Kaim found himself staring out in the groups of people moving around them and the city. People watching was something he found himself fond of. Mortals were always changing and surprising him in ways he didn't think were possible. He learned something new about them every time he sat down and did this.

Something he didn't expect was to learn something new about his wife on their little Honeymoon. He watched as a young child, a little boy, threw a ball towards another boy. Of course the boy missed his catch, and the ball rolled itself to Sarah's feet. She set her sandwich aside and picked up the runaway ball.

He watched as she handed it back down to the shy child, leaning down on her hunches to be at eye level. She was talking to him about the game they were playing, and the boy, after his initial shyness, was all too eager to give her all the details and rules. Kaim watched as Sarah took in the information with the utmost attention, nodding when appropriate. His sandwich forgotten as she laughed and played one round with the two boys before coming back to him.

He watched her expression, and learned that she had a little bit of a longing look to her eyes. This is what surprised him. Never had he seen her with that kind of look towards children before. Kaim rested a hand on her arm, and that seemed to jolt her back to reality. She laughed, and Kaim loved the breathlessness of it. "They have such an interesting game going on."

"Oh?"

Sarah nodded, face a little flushed. She picked up her sandwich again, but only took a few more nibbles before giving up. "Let's go back to the palace," she said, tugging on Kaim's arm. He agreed.

.

Sarah couldn't get it out of her mind. She and Kaim spoke little about having and raising children. The idea still brought on a frightful feeling, but now she couldn't draw away from it.

She weighed the pros and cons. A child would be a lot of responsibility and take a lot of money and care to raise. They could grow up to be a disaster, or they could grow up to be a savior. The child could be a terror. A child could be a joy. She could feel herself melt at the image of Kaim playing with them, hugging them, and reading them stories. Money wasn't an issue. Living for as long as they did and not spending more than what was necessary left the couple with a very large savings.

Her last thought was a _what if_. What if their child wasn't _like_ them? Everlasting? Her brow furrowed. Their baby would grow into a child, then into a teenager, an adult, and then old age. In a short span of ninety or so years their child would leave the world, and how could she live with herself? Aren't mothers supposed to go before their children?

She twisted in the silken sheets. Opening her eyes she saw the blurry outline of Kaim. He looked so peaceful in sleep. She frowned. How did Kaim live through having loved ones that left before him? Some even tragically taken away from him? She sighed. She couldn't do it.

. . .

At the end of their visit to Numara, and after the boat ride back, they decided to take a long walk home.

Which got them into a little bit of trouble.

Sarah sighed looking at the ocean through metal bars. This was not pleasant compared to the grand room they had left just a week before. As they stepped off the boat and walked a familiar path north, they ran into some Uhran guards. Kaim a little restless from the boat ride, and the fact that one of the guards made a bit of a pass at Sarah, might have said some not pleasing words towards the offending guard. After more threats and a heated argument, Kaim was ready for a fight.

Sarah sighed, standing to the side. It had been a long time since she had seen Kaim's temper flair, though she couldn't exactly blame him. It was a long boat ride without any stops, and the company could have been better. She wasn't going to think about the food they ate, either. Instead, she concentrated on a sleeping spell aimed at the guards. A few seconds after she started her charm, she was suddenly grabbed roughly by the arm. The words officially died on her lips when she felt the cool steel bite the skin of her throat. Backup arrived for the guards, and they were not willing to negotiate. The soldier stood silently, the very edge of his blade cutting into her soft skin of her neck. "K-Kaim!" she called out.

Her husband whipped around, fight draining from him when he saw her. He set down his sword and slowly raised his arms. He didn't stop looking at Sarah as he said, "let her go."

"You're going to come with us."

And here they were. She was separated from Kaim by a solid brick wall, but they could still talk to each other through the barred windows that shown the outside. His cell was right next to hers. They couldn't even give the husband and wife the decency to be able to look at each other face to face. It was true torture. "Sarah, I'm sorry," she heard his voice floating in through the window.

"It's okay." She thought that was like the twentieth time he apologized this day. She leaned her head as far out of the bars as she could, but couldn't see much of the cell beside her. She did see his arm poking out, and wished she was close enough to hold it. To comfort him. "They're checking paperwork, going through our things and we'll be out before we know it." She tried to sound reassuring.

She heard Kaim sigh. She leaned her head against the window, listening to the waves. "At least there's a view, right?" No response. She looked at his arm through the window. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." He didn't sound very convincing.

Sarah rolled her shoulders. "I could use a massage."

There wasn't a reply, and Sarah knew that being contained gave Kaim anxiety. He probably wasn't going to be talking much, so she made it her mission to fill in the empty void with whatever she could think of. "When we get out we'll have to go to city and get a massage. That sounds delightful." She sighed closing her eyes to the light breeze filtering through the open window. "Just a week ago this breeze would have been beautiful. Does your cell smell a little?" She heard a little huff. Kaim giving his quiet opinion. "I wish we had some tenderflora to spruce this place up a little. I'm going to miss Numara."

Sarah let the conversation fall a little. After a few minutes she cleared her throat. "Kaim?"

She waited a second, not knowing if he had fallen asleep or was tuning her out. His arm wasn't outside of the bars anymore, so he was possibly not even near enough to hear her. It was fine either way, she knew it was just meaningless chatter. No hurt feelings. "I keep thinking about the little game those boys were playing. How cute it was when the little one was explaining the rules." She yawned, starting to feel a little worn herself. Traveling and being locked into a cell took a lot out of her. She leaned her head down. "They're little cheeks…cute voices…" She mumbled out a few more things before she dozed off.

.

When Kaim finally saw his wife after two days of being so close but also so far, he wrapped her in the tightest hug he could muster. She melted into the embrace, and it took a guard to awkwardly clear his throat for them to finally separate. Kaim was sure to glare at him as they walked past.

He stretched. It was really nice to be out. He hadn't slept since they were taken in, but somehow Sarah looked worse for wear. Her shoulders looked stiff and she was walking a little hunched over. But his little wife was looking at him with worry in her dark eyes. "Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?"

"I'm fine."

"It's just that I know you don't like prisons. I just want to make sure you're okay. Here I can cast a curing spell—"

Kaim stopped her with a kiss to the cheek. She pouted at the effective way it tongue tied her. "I'm fine. You look like you could collapse any moment. Let's just find the inn and rest."

.

Once Sarah got out of the bath, Kaim instructed her to lay on the bed face down. As soon as she did, he was straddling her hips and rubbing circles into her back. Sarah let her moans out into her pillow, though to Kaim they were just muffled noises. "What was that?"

"So nice." Sarah tilted her head so that her face wasn't smothering into the pillow. "It feels good."

"Good. I know it's not a professional one, but it'll have to do."

Kaim took his time going down. He could practically feel her melt into the soft mattress. When he was all done, he kissed her cheek. She rolled over to her side, and Kaim fell into place beside her.

He watched as she sighed contently. "So about the other morning."

"What other morning?" Sarah asked, eyes drooping.

"The first day we were in the cell, you were talking about those boys in Numara." Sarah made an agreeing hum. "You then said that they had cute cheeks and voices." She hummed again. "And continued with you wouldn't mind having a little one with cheeks like mine."

Sarah's eyes snapped open. Kaim watched as she sat right up. "What?"

Kaim raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"I did not say that."

"You did," he replied.

She seemed to tense up, going back through their conversation. Kaim was actually a little worried that she was going to forget to breathe, and rubbed little circles on her arm with a finger. That seemed to get her to come back to him. She took in a shaky breath. "Did I?"

Kaim nodded. She hid her face into a pillow. "Can I ask why you're against it?" He figured they never really talked about children, and that she tended to avoid the subject altogether. It definitely wasn't something that was a make or break in their marriage to him, but he was rather curious.

Sarah took a deep breath. "I-I just can't go through with it." Her shoulders hunched and she wrapped her arms around herself. Kaim sat up resting his hand on her back. She turned to him. He must have looked worried, because she turned away saying, "I'm so sorry."

"Hey." Kaim pushed a stray lock of hair away from her face. He thumbed away a tear that ran from her eye. She turned back to him with a sniffle. "I'm not asking for us to have any children."

Sarah peeked an eye out and stared at him for a moment. Kaim watched as she slowly lowered the pillow, tears misting the edges of her eyelids. When he laid a hand on her arm, thumb caressing so very softly, she let a few of the tears fall. Kaim pulled her into a hug. "I don't mean to cry really," she managed to say between intakes of breath.

"We don't have to talk about it."

.

Back at home, Sarah felt immediately relieved. She could safely say that she would not mind resting for a decade. As she put away her things from her travel bag, she couldn't help but to sneak a peek at her husband, currently doing the same as herself, putting clothes and travel things away.

They hadn't talked about children since she cried the other day. She knew that was the unspoken, weird energy she could feel between the two of them. She tried to ignore it, but late into the evening, after Kaim had drifted off to sleep, she was still restless about it. It didn't help that her husband had been eerily silent all day, and even that was weird to Sarah.

By two in the morning she still couldn't find rest, so instead she pulled herself out of bed. _Some chamomile tea might do the trick_ , she thought to herself.

She set the kettle on their stove and lit the fire underneath. Within a half hour, she was on the window bench in her library looking out to the dark sky before her. The tea was warm and pleasant going down and just after she finished her last sip, the effects were starting to work.

She woke up to a gentle shake. "Sarah."

She was up with a start, pulling her own hair out of her mouth. She had fallen asleep leaning against the window. The sun wasn't really high just yet. In fact there was still some pink streaking the sky. "Whattimeisit?"

"Half past six." Kaim guided some of her hair away from her cheeks, a smile tugging onto his lips. "Looks like we both could have slept in some more."

Sarah hummed. "I probably didn't fall asleep till closer to four." She yawned.

Kaim took her hand and led her back to their room. He pulled the covers away for her first, and she tucked herself into their bed as Kaim made his way to the other side. Once he was settled he lay his hands on her hips and dragged her to him. Sarah let out a little laugh as he settled his chin on the top of her head. "Let's get a few more hours in."

"Hmmm." Sarah was already drifting away.

.

Kaim hadn't expected to find his wife away from the bed again just only a few hours after he woke up the first time. It was now nearing ten and he could smell something cooking downstairs. He stretched and made his way down to find Sarah finishing the last of a very large breakfast.

"I couldn't sleep very long," she informed him. She was drinking what he could only assume was a very large mug of coffee. He knew she was tired when she broke out coffee instead of tea. She usually complained about the taste as she drank it. He smiled when she took another sip of it and made a face. "Ugh, bitter. I was up by seven and decided we needed something to eat. Walked to Tosca, bought some nice vegetables and some eggs, and here we are!" She handed him an empty plate. Kaim watched as she bounced around putting finishing touches on everything. She was looking a little paler than usual, and the dark circles under her eyes weren't helping her at all, but she was at least attempting to smile.

He knew things were kind of awkward between them at the moment, but this time around he wasn't really sure how to alleviate the feeling. The subject in question bloomed into his thoughts once more. He had wives before that did not want children. That was fine. They would live out the days together in peace. This was very different in that his past wives had passed on before him. Sarah was going to live on with him for as long as their immortals lives would stretch. Could he see himself not having any more children for the next thousand years? He loved children. They brought joy to his never ending life. The dozens he has had in the last nine hundred years have all taught him to appreciate life to the fullest. Would it break his heart to never have another child?

He looked up at Sarah. Yes, it would break his heart a little, but it would break his spirit even more to ever force Sarah into something she wasn't fully comfortable with. He would never ask her about it again. The awkwardness between them would disappear, he just needed to let the topic go.

Apparently, Sarah wasn't ready for that.

As soon as she sat down with her plate of food, just as Kaim lifted a fork to his mouth, she asked, "How could you have children knowing they were going to die before you?"

Kaim let his hand holding the fork fall away from his mouth. She was being so very direct this morning. "Sarah, really, I'm sorry I brought it up the other day—"

"I need to know."

Kaim twirled his fork on his plate, letting the egg smear around. He let the moment between them stretch to see if Sarah would change the topic, but she was looking at him determinately. He sighed, "If you think it's something I take lightly, it's not." Sarah's expression did not change, and Kaim set his fork down. He rested his head in his hand and pushed the food away with his elbow. "I don't know."

"That's not an answer." Sarah crossed her arms. Kaim wasn't getting out of this one.

How could he explain this to her? He drummed his fingers on the table filling up the space with the sound, staring at anything but his wife's face. After a few quiet minutes he let out a sigh. "Way back when, almost eight hundred years ago, I didn't think it was possible for someone like me to have children."

Sarah fit her head between her hands. He continued. "My first wife did not want children. She took measures to make sure it never happened. I didn't care. I wasn't interested in that. My second wife, though, she wanted them right away." Kaim could feel himself reeling back, remembering that woman from long ago. Her blonde hair was in waves down her back and her smile when she finally became pregnant was dazzling. "It took two years but it finally happened. I was shocked. I had told her, even before we got married, that there was a possibility that I could not have children because I was immortal, and here we were getting ready for one.

"I was a nervous wreck. All I could think about was how I was going to outlive them. I was to watch my wife and child die, watch them both grow old and leave this world without me."

Kaim looked at Sarah. She was wrapped into this story, soaking in every word. It dawned on him that his last sentence spoke truth to her. This was why she avoided the subject. He chewed on his cheek a moment before continuing. "It got to the point where I was worrying her because I had grown so silent over the months. The more the baby grew in her, the quieter I became. I was unable to feel excitement from this happening. It gave me a lot of anxiety and sleepless nights."

He paused. "So what happened?" Sarah asked. Her eyes were wide, mouth set into a grim line. He could only assume that she was thinking the worst.

"Well. The boy, my son, was born." Kaim lifted his head up off his hand and couldn't help the tiny smile that came to his face. "And it changed everything."

Sara's head tilted. "But how?"

Kaim shrugged. "I don't know. Holding him for the first time, I instantly felt this connection develop. I didn't know I could fall so hard and so quickly to something so small and fragile. I had never felt that way before, never knew this kind of attachment could just exist. We come from a world where no one is really born. I'm fuzzy on the details of our old home, but I know we didn't have this. We didn't have this feeling of love. We couldn't _make_ life back there. We couldn't make a new living being the way we can here."

Kaim looked down at his hands, as if he could feel his son squirming in that little towel he was wrapped in. But that was another life. Generations upon generations ago. He flexed his fingers and looked back up at Sarah. She was chewing on her lip. "You want to know how I can live with myself, knowing that I was going to outlive my children." Sarah's eyes lit up. She squirmed a little and Kaim knew he landed right on the dot. "And I'm going to tell you that it's not easy. I've seen it all, and nothing could compare to watching my son die before me. Nothing could prepare me for that heartache. But knowing that I made this life…and he did so many good things, Sarah!" Kaim couldn't help the smile that broke onto his face. "I watched as he built a village from the ground up. I helped him make that decision. I shared in his pain when we watched as his mother succumb to her sickness before her time. I watched as this little thing that wobbled as a toddler grew into to a loving father, and then a grandfather; and I knew it was because I helped in that decision to create him.

"If it wasn't for my wife wanting and finally asking for that gift, I wouldn't have ever known that I could love something more than…more than anything in my never-ending life. I wouldn't have known the joy he brought me. After holding that baby in my arms, there wasn't anything to go back to. I knew I was going to be ruined, and that nothing I could do would stop it from happening. And after watching him go before me, eventually that itch came back. I craved that feeling of being a father. Whenever the opportunity came up, whether naturally or adopting, I never shied away. I don't think I could ever do that."

He grabbed her hand suddenly, and it made Sarah jump a little bit. He knew he must have looked desperate by the way he was focusing on her so intently, and the way her eyes locked into his, but he needed to let her know something. It was so very important for her to know. "That's also why I cannot ask you to do that. To have a child. I will _never_ ask you, Sarah. I will never make you to do something you are truly against. I could never have those feelings forced onto you. You can trust me on that. I won't ask you about it again."

Sarah looked taken back as she stumbled out a, "r-right." Kaim eased into a smile, hoping he looked a little less frantic, and let go of her hand after a gentle squeeze. After a moment, Sarah flashed him a small smile and a nod, and began to eat. He followed after.

. . .

Seth looked odd coming out of a house instead of a boat.

She looked even odder carrying that curved stomach around.

The blue haired pirate waved Sarah and Kaim over. Sarah marveled at how much the tanned woman glowed. She could outshine the sun. She gave a quick hug to her friend. "Look at you!"

"Didn't think it would ever happen myself," Seth said with a laugh. "Come on, come on in to my temporary humble abode!"

"Temporary?" Kaim offered.

"As soon as this little guy is old enough I'll be going back to the sea!" Seth said, leading the way to the tiny seaside cottage. "If you can believe it, I'm already going crazy from being on land."

"I think I can believe that! I don't think I've ever seen you off of a boat!" Sarah laughed at Seth's face. "And you're already done with this land life."

"And it hasn't even started!"

Seth opened the door. Her cottage was small, but very bright. The light yellow walls reminded Sarah of the sand outside. Little plants hung from the windows, and little seashells were embedded into the window sills. There was a man, tall and surly looking, washing the dishes. Sarah laughed at the little white apron he wore. "I don't think I expected you to be so domesticated, Solomon."

The man grunted, but gave the bespectacled lady a kind smile. Seth met Solomon fifteen years ago out on the sea. He was a pirate from an opposing side, but after a swordmatch—in which, of course, Seth won—he found himself charmed by the immortal pirate. It took another decade for Seth to finally agree to a date, and here they were now expecting their first child.

Seth stood on the tips of her toes and pushed a stray silvering hair away from his eyes. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before maneuvering her way to their little dining table. Kaim and Sarah followed, Solomon helping Seth ease into a seat. "I'm ready to be able to sit without help," she grumbled after.

They talked for a little bit as Seth's husband moseyed around the kitchen. When it was nearing late afternoon, Solomon made his way back to the kitchen. Kaim followed, continuing what conversation they had started. Seth got out of her seat and motioned to Sarah. "Solomon is the cook around here and it's going to be little bit before dinner is ready. How bout we go for a walk?"

Sarah agreed, helping Seth into her sandals, they waved the men goodbye with promises to be back before too late, and made their way to the beach.

They lived near a seaside village. It wasn't a very large one, which suited Seth just fine. She wanted to keep a lower profile and with it being such a small place, with little to hardly any ships coming through their docks, it was the perfect spot to have her child. She had told Sarah in a letter that she was nervous of her enemies finding out about her condition, so Solomon had scoped this place out personally.

Seth absentmindedly rubbed her belly as they walked along the shore. Sarah eyed her, questions bubbling up to the surface of her mind. _It would be rude to inquire_ , she thought.

But her pirate friend knew her fellow immortal. "You have questions." Seth turned to her, pausing in the sand. "I know it. Spit it out, Sarah!"

She couldn't help the flabbergasted look on her face. The pirate laughed. "Am I really that easy to read?" She adjusted her glasses in embarrassment.

"How long have I known you now? A century? Oh, no! It's been two! In the letters you've written and the handfuls of times we have managed to meet face to face, you always have questions!"

Sarah laughed at that. "I guess that's true." She took a deep breathe, Seth laughing because that's usually how it began. Breathe in, breathe several questions out. "Are you in pain? Do you need us to stop? You are kind of wobbling a little and I'm sure Solomon would be grateful if I offered you a break. How are things with Solomon? Are you hoping for a girl or a boy? And—"

Seth held up one finger. Sarah shut her mouth. "I'm not made of glass. Two." Seth lifted another finger to join the first. "Things with Solomon are great. Three, I am really hoping for boy." She scrunched up her face. "I don't know what to do with girls. I'm not exactly a feminine woman, and what if I happened to have a girl who wanted to act like a princess? Not for me."

Sarah gave her blue-haired companion a gentle smile. "I'm sure you could figure it out. Captain Seth Balmore can do anything she can set her mind to."

"I never imagined it would be this, though," Seth said, setting a loving hand to the swell of her abdomen. She looked back up at Sarah, one eyebrow raised, looking expectantly at her friend. "You two have been married longer than we have!"

Sarah could hear the inquiring statement that could be said next. She let out a breath between her lips. "You know women have a choice on whether or not they would like to have children, thank-you-very-much!"

"I know!" Seth bumped Sarah's shoulder. "And will you?"

"No." Sarah looked away for a moment. The sea weaved in and out across the sand and she wanted to lose herself in the motion of it.

Seth hummed beside her. Sarah turned expecting to hear a lecture, but instead she got a shrug from Seth. "It is your choice and that's that! Let's make our way back home."

Sarah raised her brow. " _That's that?_ No, _but it's your duty to your husband to have his children_?"

Seth waved a hand, a dismissive noise came out between lips. "I don't believe in that shit." And that's all she had to say about it.

.

"Can I ask you something?"

Sarah and Seth were lounging outside underneath an umbrella. Kaim and Solomon were off into the little seaside town to get groceries leaving the two women alone at the cottage. The conversation from two days ago still lingered on her mind and this was the first opportunity Sarah had to ask another burning question.

"Sure." Seth set down her cup of water, waiting.

Sarah took another deep breath, steeling her mind to ask the question. Seth laughed, but was only a little surprised when Sarah only asked one. "Why?"

The pregnant woman blinked. "Why…?"

"Why have a baby at all?" Sarah couldn't get the right words out, but it was a good place to start.

Seth shrugged, making a noncommittal sound in the back of her throat. "Why not?" Sarah twisted her mouth a little. It made Seth chuckle. "What's it to you anyway?"

"I don't know." Sarah shook her head. "Never mind me asking."

"Nope! This isn't over." Sarah jumped when Seth raised her voice a little. The pirate laughed. "That didn't stop your curiosity! I can smell it coming off of you! You reek of festering questions, Sisulart!"

Sarah rolled her eyes at the vulgar image, and then sighed. "It's just." How could she put it nicely? "How can you go through with it? Knowing…"

"That I will outlive this baby?" Sarah nodded shyly. Seth shrugged again. Sarah for a moment thought that was going to be it. Just a shrug. She opened her mouth to give an exasperated response, but Seth held up one finger. "One reason, and that's it. Solomon asked."

Sarah waited for her to continue but after a moment, Seth pulled her finger away and drank the rest of her ice water. "That's it?"

"That's it."

"He asked." Sarah's brow creased.

"He did." Seth looked at the other immortal woman, scrubbing one hand through her short hair. "It was a simple choice really."

"I don't think it's that simple." Sarah chewed her lip. This was not the way she envisioned this conversation going.

"I guess I _could_ explain." Seth laughed at the look Sarah threw at her. "What?"

"You are maddening!" Seth laughed again, and Sarah sighed. "I would love to hear your explanation."

"Well. Solomon is forty-seven years old. Did you know that?" Sarah waved her hand a little. She had guesstimated as much. "He's been on the sea more than half of his life. When we started dating all those years ago, he hinted at wanting to have a child. I wasn't for it at the time. He never mentioned it again until three days after we got married. You see, he explained it like this." She cleared her throat and gave her best impersonation of Solomon's deep graveling voice. "I ain't gettin' any younger, and it would make me tha 'appiest if you're willin'."

Sarah laughed but it ended with a few blinks. She tried to process an answer from that response, but it wasn't getting her anywhere. Seth gave her a lopsided grin. "I knew he would never ask me again if I really said no, but I said okay, and here we are almost a year later."

Sarah exhaled. "How was that such an easy decision? I mean. You will have to see…"Sarah didn't want to finish the sentence.

So, Seth finished it for her. "I will see the baby born, grow up, live life to the fullest, and pass on." Sarah looked up at her a little astonished. "What else is there to think about?"

"It can't be easy." Sarah said more to herself.

"No. I reckon it won't be." Seth sat up a little straighter. "It's okay that you don't want any, it doesn't matter to me any way about how you and Kaim live your lives. You're both immortals and will see each other till the end of times, but how can I deny my husband a request he's been waiting his whole, _very short_ , mortal life for?"

Sarah drooped her head. She never really thought of it that way. _"That's also why I cannot ask you to do that. To have a child."_ Kaim never asked as promised, but she wasn't blind. She remembers every time he is around children, the looks he gives and the kindness in his eyes these past forty years.

Seth continued. "He's already through most of his mortal life. I'm going to make the rest of it very special, and it brings me happiness to see him happy."

"I never…"

"Don't take it the wrong way. I hate it. I hate this." Seth motioned at her stomach. Sarah lifted her head back up, blinking at Seth. "The constant cramps, swelling, moving makes me hot, not being able to be on my ship. I miss Aneira but can only hope he isn't destroying my men! It's _exhausting_!" Seth whined. Sarah laughed a little. "But in two short months, I'll have my body back and something special with it."

"All because Solomon asked?"

"All because Solomon asked."

. . .

Kaim was away from Tosca for the first time in almost two decades. His friend and King of Gohtza needed some help with a new gang that sprang up in his large city, and he couldn't just leave the young king hanging. He offered Sarah to come along, but she declined, wanting to catch up on her book writing. They had been traveling most of the twenty years between his last mercenary job, so he understood. He couldn't help but to feel like she was hiding something though. He tucked the thought away for another day. He had to meet the king, and would be home soon enough to ask her in person anyway.

"Kaim you've helped me out immensely." The king sighed when the two of them were alone. Kaim noticed that the once young man was aging, silver starting to grow into the russet of his hair. When they had met almost twenty years before, just as he and Sarah were starting their adventure across Gohtza, he was young and naïve thinking he could do anything. Kaim saw that with age had come wisdom and the king knew when he needed some help. "I can't thank you enough."

"It is not a problem, your Majesty." He ended it with a bow.

"Ah, don't treat me that way, Kaim."

Kaim smiled. "Old habits."

"Always the formal one." The king laughed. Sitting at his desk in his large study. He motioned for his old friend to sit. "I feel like I can finally relax. How is Sarah, by the way?"

"Good." Kaim sat down across from the king. His thoughts traced back to her weird behavior before he left a few weeks ago. "She's being a little…odd."

"Well, isn't she always?"

Kaim gave a small nod, smiling a little. "Yes. That much is true."

"Oh!" The king pulled open a drawer. "Speaking of your wife, you received a letter from her a few days ago. You've been out and about, and I hadn't the chance to give it to you."

Kaim took the letter from the king and smoothed his thumb over it.

 _To Kaim Argonar, Gohtza ATTN: Gohtzan Palace_

"I'm sorry the seal is broken. You know policy. Anything that comes through to the palace must be read," the king lifted his hands. "I promise I didn't read it though."

"It's a heavy letter." Kaim tucked it away from sight. "It's probably all chicken-scratch anyway. You wouldn't be able to get through it." He smiled at his imagining of Sarah's pouting face if she had heard that comment. He missed her, and ached to be home.

The king laughed. With a smile, Kaim got onto his feet. "I leave early tomorrow."

"Don't be a stranger, Kaim. Come visit. And bring that lovely wife of yours too!"

Kaim nodded, bowed low despite the king's protest of it, and let himself out into the hall. He acknowledged the two guards with a dip of his head, and left to his own guest bedroom.

It was now late into the evening, and even though he would love to leave now it wouldn't be the best idea to cross the snow this late at night. So Kaim stretched out onto the bed provided to him, shoes and shirt off, and pulled Sarah's letter from his jacket that lay on the chair next to him.

It was a heavy letter and he was surprised at how neatly her lines scripted across the pages. Usually when she wrote a lot there were a lot of mistakes and crossed off words or sentences. It was like listening to her speak when she was excited about a new discovery. All of the words would come pushing out of her lips at once. This time though he could see that she clearly had something to say, and that maybe this wasn't the first draft of her letter. He let his eyes wander over the words, smiling here and frowning there.

By the time he reached the end of it, though, he was sat straight up in bed. He read the last sentence over and over again, heart beating fast.

Instead of laying back down, he was pulling on his boots and finding his pack. He jotted a quick note of apology to the king for his quick exit, leaving it with a guard, and made his way out of the palace.

His trip home was disastrous and freezing, and he had to stay in Saman for a day to warm his weary bones back up before making his climb up to Tosca, but he finally threw open the door to his and Sarah's room. Sarah threw her hands up in alarm for only a moment before relaxing. Kaim made his way to her, asking, "Is it true?"

Sarah nodded. Kaim wrapped her in the coldest hug he had ever given, burying his cold nose into the crook of her neck. Sarah's laughter ringing and warming up the room.

. . .

 _Kaim,_

 _I have missed you these last few weeks! It's been, what, two decades since we've been apart and I forgot how lonely this house gets with you not in it._

 _I've been attempting to keep myself busy to keep my mind off of things. I can't help but to go back to what happened a few months ago at the Tower of Mirrors. What could Gongora be up to? He was so crazed with power, promising such destructive things. I just…it's hard for me to let it go. I know I must. When we need to cross that river it will be crossed, but I just have this nagging feeling in my chest that something big is just around the corner._

 _Anyway. Tosca is great! Nothing too exciting happening. The weather is finally starting to let up! These winter months are always the worst and I miss having your body heat to place my poor cold fingers and toes on. I know you hate it, but you love me and deal with it anyway! I've had to cut some extra wood, but not too much. Luckily._

 _Little Tatum came by yesterday. He was all bundled up for traveling through the snow, but was so excited to finally come all the way here by himself! I worried a little for his safety, but he is twelve now and I guess he's not so little anymore. I gave him some herbs I had dried last fall. Looks like his mother has got a cold she can't shake. I offered to walk down with him, but he proudly refused! Tatum told me he couldn't ask a lady to walk him down only to walk home by herself after. He looked so funny waddling way down the path! It made me smile. I know he got home safely, and I do hope those herbs help soothe his mother's aches. Perhaps I'll go down to see them tomorrow if the weather permits._

 _No news on any fronts. The newspapers I receive from Tosca have no eerie reports in them. Maybe there will be peace? I don't know what to think of it. It's weird to see the world settle nicely. It's happened before, of course, but usually that means someone important will die, a new leader will come, and then there will be disagreement again. I'll keep watch on the papers, but you'll be back before I know it and we can just do that together._

 _No letters from Seth or Ming either. It makes me worry. Seth has been finally getting better after Solomon's sudden passing, and with Sed and Aneira around to help cheer her up she's maybe doing fine. It was nice to see her before Gongora made his little plan known, and now I'm afraid she's gone back to being quiet. I wrote to Ming before you left, and it saddens me just a little that I haven't heard anything back! I wonder what's going on in the world outside of Tosca, and usually they're the ones to keep me up to date. Maybe I just need to give them time._

 _I know I've been acting weird since before you left. The fact is that I haven't been feeling quite myself lately. Maybe it's all this magic and Gongora business, or that Tower of Mirrors incident. Maybe I just feel the pull to leave and go back home? Well. That and I do have something to tell you. I'm sorry it's in a letter. I didn't confirm it until after you left. And you know me, I can't bear to hold this information any longer than I need to, so please come home._

 _I'm pregnant._

 _Sarah._


	7. Family Interlude Part II

Kaim noticed the small curve to Sarah's stomach and it took his breath away. In his immortal life he had seen countless of growing babies, but it always took him by surprise when it was one of his own.

It was the middle of the third month, he counted quickly in his head, and he didn't even know if Sarah noticed the change in herself. He watched as she finished peeling off her blouse and found that it was getting a little harder to breathe. It was like his throat was closing involuntarily, and no air would be able to escape or get in. The realness that soon, in a flash of life, they would have a child between them was bringing him immeasurable joy with a little touch of anxiety. His lungs burned a little as he finally convinced himself to breathe through his nose, sounding like a surprised intake of breath. The noise found his wife's attention. Sarah caught on to his stare, and he didn't even realize that she was looking right back at him until she finally cleared her throat. He blinked, then looked down at his hands attempting to unbuckle his pants. "Sorry," he whispered, finishing the motion and getting changed.

"What's got you staring?" Sarah pulled on her nightdress, rubbing her arms a little. The winter air, though warmer than it was a few weeks ago, was still chilly at night, and Kaim noticed the shiver she tried to cover.

He walked over and planted a kiss on her cheek. She giggled at the way his nose bumped the arm of her glasses. "Just seeing how beautiful you are." She gasped when he laid his hand on her stomach, gently trailing the curve. "And how this makes you glow."

Sarah looked down at his hand and eyes grew wide. "Am I?" She broke away from him and he watched as she lifted her dress up over her chest and stared at her reflection in their tall mirror. She gasped again. "I am! Oh my goodness! I didn't even notice!"

He watched with amusement as she turned this way and that, looking at every angle at the slight baby bump. He then watched with a little worry as her smile fumbled into a frown. He moved to stand next to her. "We really did it," she murmured.

"I thought you knew that already," he teased, hoping to lighten her mood.

"I guess it just never occurred to me that I would actually be showing so soon. I only told you about this two weeks ago! I mean. We really did it." Sarah let her nightdress fall, and Kaim watched as she hesitantly set a hand to her stomach.

"Scared?" Kaim placed his hand over hers. He watched as she shook her head in the mirror.

"No. Not when you'll be here," she said, smile stretching to her face.

. . .

Kaim listened as Sarah threw dress after dress from their closet to their bed. He had woken up to her rustling around and laid face down in the pillow as she groaned and huffed around the room. When he felt the tossed fabric hit the back of his head, he finally decided to roll onto his back. "Morning to you, too."

"Nothing fits!" Sarah stormed out of their closet wearing one of Kaim's shirts. It fell past her knees and fit very loosely around her shoulders. Kaim would have laughed if she didn't look so desperate. "I feel like overnight I gained four inches to not only my stomach but also my breasts!"

"I don't mind." That earned Kaim a light slap. He twitched a leg away from her hands and felt his lips tug into a grin.

"Kaim. This is not the time. I can't go into Tosca wearing your clothes!"

Kaim sat up, moving the dresses away from him, and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. He gathered up the clothing and began to fold and set them aside. "Nothing fits?"

"One dress. My pretty one I got in Numara," Sarah replied with a sigh. "Numarian clothes fit looser and are almost too light for this last edge of winter. I doubt Tosca has any maternity clothes selling at this moment, and it's too much work for me to resize my dresses and blouses to only have to resize them all again in just a year!"

"Let's make a trip to Saman," Kaim suggested. "Buy a few new clothes that are easily adjustable."

Sarah bit her lip. Kaim rolled his eyes. She was always very frugal with money despite the mansion they lived in and the wealth they stored over the almost millennia of life. "A few hundred silver is not going to set us back any. Not even close."

Sarah laughed. "You always know."

"I've known you too long to not know otherwise," he answered with a smile. He found the dress that she had been talking about. It was a deep purple and luckily not made of silk, though he could tell what she meant by it being almost too light. It could stand the travel through the black cave, though, if she took her cloak. He handed it over and Sarah sighed, agreeing to their short trip.

.

In his mind this trip was going to be easy. They had walked through the Black Cave hundreds of times. They knew exactly where to dodge the holes in the floor. There were no mistakes ever made going through, but Kaim felt stressed to the max.

He forgot what it felt like to travel with a pregnant companion. It had been centuries since he needed to travel with an expecting spouse, and he conveniently forgot how protective he got. Everything suddenly had malintent. The little light bugs were even annoying.

Bats, demon or not, were suddenly his worst enemy. The mud and slick ground they walked on became his worst enemy. The way Sarah protested his arm being around her at all times annoyed him. After a while, Sarah allowed his arm to stay protectively on her back, nudging her in the right direction, and Kaim had sent a thankful glance her way. He knew he was being overbearing, and it was grating on his wife's already frazzled nerves, but he couldn't back away from these feelings. Luckily, Sarah understood. To a point.

Kaim jumped when she patted his arm. His sword hand in a death grip on the hilt. "Kaim, you're so tense. Relax."

He could not, grounding his teeth instead.

When they got to the hall before the exit, there was one large monster. Not a problem for the immortal mercenary as he had enough tense energy to kill one-hundred demons if he needed to. Kaim stood in front of Sarah, watching the movements of the enemy before him. He didn't move until he noticed the right moment to run at it and strike. When he did his piercing blade struck true, but what he wasn't expecting was the dozens of little creatures that flew past him out of the dying mass. He caught one, slamming it to the ground, putting it out of its misery.

"Kaim!"

His blood went cold as he looked up. Sarah was on the ground, one little monster pulling away at her skirt. She was trying to hit it with her staff, but couldn't quite reach the little devil. Kaim's feet were pounding against the ground, killing as many as the little creatures he could along the way. When he reached her, he quickly disposed of the monster and fell onto his knees. "Are you hurt? Sarah, I'm so sorry. I—"

"Watch out!" Sarah pushed him away. He watched in horror as the flying little creature managed to graze his claw against Sarah's skin before she could deflect it with her black magic. Red ran down her arm, soaking into the sleeves of her purple dress. His mind was still buzzing as she cast a spell towards the corpse of the large monster ahead of them. It burst into flames, and suddenly all the little creatures were screeching and falling to the ground. "I thought that was it. The monster's flesh needed to be burned before its creatures could fall."

Sarah turned back to Kaim, who still sat unblinkingly on the ground. "Oh no, did I hurt you? I'm sorry! I didn't mean to push you away. Here let me heal you."

Kaim felt the warm magic roam over his body and that seemed to finally snap him out of his daze. He grabbed Sarah's arm, the one that was cut, and inspected the wound. The monsters weren't poisonous, to their luck, but it could still get infected. He pulled out some water and rinsed the cut out, watched it bead with red again, saying to himself that they would stop at the general store in Saman when they arrived. He let her arm go but then pulled open her cloak to look for any other injuries. Sarah waited patiently as he patted and pulled her clothing away.

"Why did you do that? Why did you push me away? You could have gotten hurt!" Kaim placed his hands on her hips, anchoring her to the ground so that she could not get away. His annoyance was back again, though this time a little less understanding of Sarah's actions. His wife was a little shocked, blinking back at him.

"The monster would have killed you! He would have gone straight for you heart, it only made sense to—"

"I won't die! You could have! Who knows what would have happened if you had!"

"You don't need to yell."

"I'm not yelling!"

"Well, it sure sounds like it!" Sarah pulled his arms away from her, standing up. Kaim was right beside her in a moment. "I wouldn't be surprised if someone from Tosca could hear you right now!"

"Sarah, you could have been hurt! More hurt than what was already done!"

"I did get hurt! And guess what? I'm fine!" Angry eyes turned on him, and he felt his own match back with the same intensity. He wasn't going to let this go, even if it meant having an argument in the middle the exit hall, littered with monster corpses. He had to let her know that what she did was not okay, and that he would die for her a thousand times over if it meant that her and the child were safe. He crossed his arms, waiting patiently for Sarah to finish her tirade. "I'm fine! The baby is fine! And you are fine! And you have the nerve to scream at me—"

Sarah leaned over to the side, one hand on her stomach the other on her knee as she threw up. Kaim's ire drained out of him so quickly it almost scared him, as he watched her wipe a shaky hand over her mouth. His heart stilled in his chest as she heaved a few times, and he was left unsure on what he could do to help. She leaned up breathing in a lungful of air. When he lifted his arm to check on her, she turned on her heel. She grabbed her staff, and quietly walked towards the exit of the cave. Kaim watched her go for a moment, and sidestepping the dead monsters and sick, followed her out.

.

"I'm okay. You can stop looking at me like that."

Kaim didn't say anything just opened the door to Kersen's Inn. Sarah didn't say much after the cave. They walked on in silence and reached Saman without much ado. He wrapped her arm in a clean bandage they bought and headed over to buy clothes. Kaim watched as she purchased four new maternity blouses, trousers that were more stretchy than not, two night shifts, and three dresses. He handed the cashier the money, and they had quietly left. When they stepped outside Kaim noticed how pale, and still a little shaky, Sarah was. Even though the trip back to Tosca would only take four hours and they would be back home by midafternoon, Kaim thought it best to rest at the inn for the night. Sarah just gave him a slight nod, and they were off.

Kaim pushed the door open to their room and set their purchases by the couch in the corner. Sarah pulled off her traveling boots and made her way to the bed. She lay down face first into the pillows before curling up on her side, back towards him.

Kaim stood next to the bed, watching as Sarah took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes. After another minute he sighed and sat on the edge of the mattress. She didn't move when he did, and he felt a little guilt creep up on him. He shouldn't have yelled. He was sure those little monsters wouldn't have been able to kill either of them. Maybe leave some deep scratches that would have left a scar, but nothing more serious. They had overreacted, maybe Kaim a little more than Sarah, and deep down he knew he needed to apologize.

"Sarah, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you. You're right, we're fine and I just wanted to take my anxiety out at someone." No response. Kaim sighed deeper. Her anger and silence wasn't misplaced and now she was feeling crummy on top of it, and he felt to blame. He turned to her and opened his mouth again, but realized she was asleep.

He pulled the blankets up around her shoulders and lay a kiss on her forehead. He smoothed away the moisture left by his lips and she smiled in her sleep at the familiar touch.

.

Kaim was awoken by Sarah brushing his hair out of his face. It was the middle of the night and the glow of the moon illuminated Sarah's features. He could tell that she had been crying. He pulled her close, tangling his legs with hers. "I'm sorry," she whispered, sniffling after.

"Don't," his voice rumbled back. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath in. "No need to be sorry. It was me. I overreacted." He opened his eyes and saw hers gaping back. He took a hand and wiped away a stray tear. "I should be the one begging you to forgive me." Sarah could only stare, so he gave her a kiss to her cheek. Her lips twitched up a little.

"I heard you earlier, you know."

"I figured." Kaim recalled how she smiled after he tucked her into bed. "How do you feel?"

"Okay. Not sick." She placed her head under his chin and kissed his adam's apple. "I'm fine."

Kaim rubbed her back in a circular motion, and with a yawn Sarah closed her eyes to go to sleep. He soon followed.

. . .

Surprisingly, at least to Kaim, Sarah's morning sickness didn't truly strike her until the end of her fourth month of pregnancy. He was happy to say it did not last long, but it did surge through her with a vengeance. Sarah would get sick in the morning, after breakfast, after lunch, and through the afternoon. The doctor that visited Tosca at the time was a little concerned, informing him, "she's losing a little weight, Kaim. Just make sure she's attempting small meals in between the nausea."

So Kaim made it his mission to bring Sarah food at half hour intervals. He tried all combinations of foods and liquids for her to try and keep down. She was trying her best to eat everything she could, and it was all that Kaim could hope for, but he would be lying if he said he wasn't just a little nervous about her sickness.

He watched as she bent over the kitchen sink, emptying lunch. He became even more worried when she wobbled away. "I feel like death," she cried out a little dramatically.

"It'll get better." Kaim almost sounded like he was trying to convince himself. He held her elbow with one hand as she pulled herself towards the kitchen nook table. "Have you managed to keep anything down this morning?"

"Breakfast, actually." Sarah rubbed her stomach. Kaim offered her the glass of water he had left on the counter, and she gulped it down greedily. "And actually, I ate that apple you brought earlier, too."

Kaim felt minor relief—she was keeping something down at least, but there was still a battle to be won.

. . .

To say that Sarah had mood swings would be an understatement.

Kaim watched as she launched into cleaning mode, a mode that came through sparingly even when she wasn't with child, and just a moment later sat down in the chair in the corner tears streaming down her face.

"I wrote this and never finished," she cried into Kaim's shoulder, clutching a parchment in her hand. "And for the life of me I can't remember where I was going with it."

Kaim sighed inwardly, patting the middle of her back as she wracked herself with another sob. Hopefully these moods would slow down as she progressed further into her pregnancy.

. . .

Kaim could have given himself whiplash from how fast his head turned at Sarah's sudden gasp. A range of emotions wormed their way up from his belly as all the bad situations ran through his mind at why his pregnant wife would be gasping. He approached her arms open, ready to catch her if she fell, a frown etched into his features as he saw that she was as still as a statue.

He watched as she pressed a hand to one part of her growing curve. She gasped again, and Kaim could feel his blood pressure rise. _Is she in pain?_ he thought to himself. She looked up at him suddenly and paused his movements. "Come here!"

She let go of the broom she held in her hand to reach over and grab his own. She pressed his fingers into the side of her five-month curved belly and waited. Kaim caught on to what she was trying to show him and didn't show disappointment when the movement stopped before he could feel it. Relief spread through his fingertips to the top of his head as he said, "nothing."

"Ooh! I thought this time I could catch you!" Sarah soothingly said to her growing baby. Kaim let his hand linger on the spot for a few more moments before he placed his hand on her cheek.

"Don't worry. We'll catch it soon enough."

What he wasn't expecting was Sarah to literally pull him out of a deep sleep, hand pressed down hard on her stomach again. He was about to complain about the hour when he felt it. A movement, maybe a foot stretching out to greet his hand. He blinked and used his free hand to rub the last vestiges of sleep from his eyes. "Hello."

Sarah's laugh pulled him away for a moment before another bump reached his fingers. He laughed, "pretty active tonight?"

"I can't sleep," Sarah said with a tiny pout. "Baby doesn't know when to quit and has transferred some of that energy to me." Sarah's foot connected with Kaim's and he felt the thumb of her right hand trace the outline of his jaw.

Kaim smiled into the dark. He lifted his hands away from her and replaced one on her shoulder. He leaned in and kissed his wife's neck, reveling in the way she seemed to purr and melt into the mattress below them. During Sarah's middle months, she craved more than just the odd food. Kaim caught her staring—a heavy lidded stare—while he worked the garden outside of their mansion in the early mornings. Her fingers always lingered on him a little longer than normal whenever she could, and she would sometimes bite her lip with a strong blush whenever his hand supported the small of her back as they walked around outside. While Kaim and Sarah usually initiated these kinds of activities equally before the baby made itself known, he had noticed an uptick in Sarah's drive and didn't foresee it ending any time soon. Not that he minded, but she did have a knack at wanting his touch at the most inconvenient times.

She was squirming a little in the bed, so he decided to give her a break from her favorite spot; instead kissing a line up her neck and to her lips, hands keeping still. Kaim needed to confirm this was what she wanted, before he would allow himself to go further, but couldn't quite see her reactions. Sarah breathed in deep, and he could feel eyelashes flutter on his cheeks, but he was left to wonder if she was flushed and still wanting. When he pulled away from her lips, all he could see were eyes blinking back at him. "I can help you fall asleep faster?" he finally offered.

"Please," she whispered, her hands suddenly at his chest. With a laugh he let his hand wander off her shoulder.

. . .

Kaim noticed that even though the weather was significantly warmer, it being the end of spring, Sarah was wearing long sleeved clothes. He didn't mention it to her even when he caught her fanning herself as she sat at the window bench in the library. Hopefully whatever was bothering her would make itself known to him soon, so he could find a way to ease the discomfort. He nudged her legs, greeting her with an, "hey."

"Hey yourself," she replied, leaning her head against the window. She stifled a yawn. "I'm so tired."

Kaim sat down on the ground, leaning his head back onto her thigh. "You can sleep."

"I've been sleeping all day though," she protested, another yawn attacking her mid-sentence. Kaim leaned his head up, looking at her drooping eyes. "I can't just sleep the day away."

"Being six months pregnant will do that to you," he said, closing his eyes and letting the sun warm his face.

"It does a lot of things." Kaim waited for the rest of her thought, but it never came. After a minute, he opened one eye and peeked up at Sarah. Her lips were screwed shut and there were tears falling silently onto her cheeks. He blinked in surprise but knew that her mood could change at the snap of a finger. He moved so he was kneeling next to the bench, hands wiping away the wetness. "I'm fine," she sobbed, her voice betraying her statement. She tried to move his hands away, but instead he ended up holding one. A thumb ran against her knuckles as she tried to take calming breaths in and out.

Seeing her cry always brought out a fierce protectiveness from somewhere deep, and Kaim fought the urge to try and quickly solve all of her issues at once. He didn't want her to feel like she was helpless and needed him to fix every little thing that bothered her. So instead, Kaim bent over and laid a kiss to her nose. "I know you are fine. Come on. Let's go lie down."

He got off his knees and helped his wife off the bench.

.

"Kaim?"

"Hmm?" Kaim dropped the book onto his chest and looked over at his wife next to him in bed. He watched as she adjusted the pillow between her knees and lifted her head to find the best sleeping position. After her nap earlier that day, Sarah seemed to be doing better. She wrote in her journal, helped Kaim with dinner, and even took a cool bath. Their midwife checked in this evening, heralding Sarah to be in the best of health before leaving back to the village for the night. Kaim almost wished he could have spoken to the older woman privately about Sarah's odd behavior, but he didn't have a chance to get her alone. It had been a long time since he had seen Sarah this down and nervous, and he briefly wondered if it was just a weird concoction of hormones.

Sarah sighed into the pillow, rolling her face into the soft material. She was back wearing a long-sleeved night dress, and Kaim frowned as it was a little stuffy in their bedroom. Enough to have Kaim forgo a shirt in favor of a pair of thin shorts and nothing else. Sarah peeked out from the pillow. "Nevermind."

"Sarah." And Kaim knew he said to himself that he wouldn't coddle her. She would tell him what was wrong eventually, but it was getting to be a little too much and too long of a wait for him. He brushed her damp hair away from her eyes and gave her the most longing look he could muster; hoping that this would make her speak rather than using words. Sarah avoided his eyes, but after a moment let the air out of her lungs in a hiss between her teeth.

"Do you think…" Sarah bit the edge of her lip. Kaim saw a blush rise to her cheeks. "Do you think I'm attractive? That I look okay?"

Kaim held in the snort that wanted so desperately to come out. It would have hurt her feelings more, and he didn't want her to move farther away from him when she was finally voicing her thoughts. It was silly for her to think that, to say it out loud, but he knew she needed to let it out. "Is this what's bothering you?"

"You didn't answer." Sarah's face contorted into a weary frown, eyes downcast and avoiding his. No doubt she was trying to hold back tears. Kaim brushed his fingers through her hair again. She wouldn't look at him.

"It's because it is an obvious answer. Yes, Sarah. You are attractive. I even dare to say more than you were five minutes ago." He lifted his lips up in a smile. Sarah's own lifted for only a second before they returned down.

"I just don't feel very good about myself right now."

Kaim rolled to his side and got as close to her as he could with a baby between them. He looked her over, up and down, and shrugged. "I know what I say might not make a difference, but." Kaim moved his hands to her face, brushing lips against lips. When she opened her eyes again, he let his lips kiss across her left cheek, and let his hand rest on her stomach. They sat there for a moment, Kaim just mesmerized by how full her figure was—how much the baby had grown in what seemed like a fast half of a year. He moved his body down the bed and wrapped an arm the best he could around her in a little hug. He could hear her small gasp when he touched warm fingers to her skin of her thigh. Every inch of her was beautiful. He lifted her long dress up to reveal the stretched skin of her abdomen and traced the lines that had grown there. He tried to keep everything soft and light, careful not to rub her the wrong way. Hoping his actions would be enough to soothe her worries. When he looked up at her, there was a wetness in her eyes, but Kaim could tell they weren't sad tears.

He looked down again, seeing all the marks and discoloration. The dark line that went from her navel down. "Everything is temporary." He let his hand rest at the crest of her belly, her skin burning the palm of his hand. "Despite our long and never-ending life, these marks will go away faster than you could ever think they would." He sat up tugging her into a sitting position, and out of her long nightdress. She wrapped an arm around her chest, and Kaim gave her a small sigh. She didn't need to cover herself up around him. She hadn't done that in what seemed like a century or two, but he wasn't going to bring it up. There was no reason to make her feel ashamed of being ashamed. He leaned in and rested his forehead against hers. After a moment she sighed herself and he felt her hands on his face.

"Thank you."

"You don't need to thank me. I will remind you every day if you want me to." He lifted his head off hers and placed another gentle kiss where they were once touching. "You're beautiful to me no matter what you look like."

"Even if I've vomited on your shoes?"

Kaim laughed. If she could joke now, he hoped the worst of her mood had been lifted. "After you brushed your teeth, I'd still want to kiss you breathless."

Sarah's tinkering laugh met his ears and she let her arms fall away from her. Kaim could tell she was feeling a lot more comfortable in her skin. She moved off the bed and found a thin, short-sleeved nightdress, and waddled back into her nest of pillows. Kaim placed his forgotten book onto the stand beside him and turned off the light. He placed one last kiss to his wife's lips before settling down beside her.


	8. Family Interlude Part III

The lightning cracked open the sky, and Sarah could have sworn the quickly fading light was a dream. It was the stormy season before the weather would finally start to calm and warm up for summer. It was late, or rather very early in the morning, and Sarah supposed she could take a quick nap before Kaim and Lirum decided it was time to start breakfast.

Just as she was collecting her papers and putting them aside neatly on her otherwise very messy desk, there was another roar of thunder.

The door behind her banged open and a small child found her way into her mother's lap.

"Lirum! It's too early for you to be up!" Sarah was trying to get the four year old off of her lap, but her little arms gripped the older woman's own like steel. Sarah melted at the sight of her young daughter's face twisted in terror, finally allowing the small child to grip onto her skirt.

"Momma, I can't!" Sarah heard the soft cry in her daughter's voice and instantly started to rub her back. "I can't seep."

She wrapped Lirum into a hug. When another thunderclap sounded, the little girl practically jumped out of her skin. Tiny tears streamed down her face, and Sarah couldn't stop herself from saying, "Okay, okay. Let's go down by the fire. The sound is a little more muffled in the den."

Sarah carried the crying girl into the hallway and down the steps, to the right of the entrance hall, and finally to one of the rooms snuggled into the hallway. Without any windows, the sounds of the raging storm seemed to die away. Sarah, using one hand to hold the small girl, used her other to drag the rocking chair from the corner, nearer to the dying embers of the fireplace. She rocked her little girl until the last of her sobs quieted.

"Papa is a heavy sleeper." Sarah said this more to herself. For being a man of war, Kaim sure didn't give up on his beauty rest. She thought it might be because if anyone were to sneak up on them he'd be faster, even in sleep. That and he couldn't exactly die.

Lirum giggled. "I went to your room first and he was snoring loud! Louder than the thunder outside!"

Sarah sighed, but a smile still tugged onto her lips. "Well, that's your father."

Lirum leaned into her. Her eyes were drooping, but every distant peal of thunder, however quieted, still jolted her awake.

Sarah rocked into a rhythm, and started to sing. " _Things come and go, but soon they'll disappear into dusk…_ "

The song was something she once heard a very long time ago. Almost too long ago. She probably mixed up the words and lost the meaning somewhere along the way, but she couldn't ever forget the melody. It stuck with her, even when the words faded and reshaped themselves.

Soon Lirum's eyes were staying closed. " _I know it, I feel it, you're heading straight home back to me, now."_ Just as she was singing the last of the verse the door slowly opened. Kaim leaned against the doorframe watching as his daughter snuggled deeper into Sarah's robe. He motioned to lift her up, but Sarah shook her head.

"I'll rock a little while longer. Just to make sure."

. . .

The nervousness that always came with a new child was starting to set into Kaim. In just a few short weeks there would be a baby in their house, and he was beginning to grow restless. Every morning he woke with another chore to add to his list of things needed done around the house.

All the rooms needed deep cleaned. The staircase was creaking—and wouldn't that wake up a new baby? The windows needed shined, and some needed curtains. The flower bed needed weeding. The nursery wasn't painted. Sarah still needed to pick a color of paint for the nursery. He needed to travel to Saman, as much as he hated leaving Sarah so close to time, to pick up the nursery paint—that still wasn't picked out—and other last minute supplies they forgot they needed.

And why is it that he couldn't get the house in order like he wanted it to? An almost jittering panic was starting to set in.

And then there was Sarah. Calmly washing the breakfast dishes humming a little to herself while her husband sat contemplating how fast he could run to Saman without overdoing it. It wouldn't do to overwork himself—or die—right before the baby was to get here.

He observed as she set the last dish in the strainer and took a cloth to wipe up the water that fell onto the counter. Kaim turned his full attention to his wife, willing the worries and panicked feelings leave him for a moment. Sarah's stomach bumped the counter and she concentrated on her tiptoes to reach for the last of the water left from the washing. Kaim watched her face ease into satisfaction of her finished job, before she was thinking about the next.

She waddled over to where he sat at the table and made to sit down. For the past month she had to eat her meals sideways in her seat because she wasn't able to fit or reach the table comfortably when she sat normally. She blew out a little sigh, and Kaim watched with affection as she rubbed the very top of her belly.

"I was thinking yellow. Not too bright, but a nice yellow," she said, looking at him. "I'm sorry I didn't think of it sooner, but it doesn't take too long to get to Saman. Don't worry."

Kaim sighed. He wasn't annoyed at Sarah—how could he be?—more like the situation he was left in. "You say that but you never know when a baby will decided to arrive."

Sarah smiled. "I can say with certainty that it's not going to be in the next two days."

Kaim shook his head. No one could say that with certainty. He was reminded of one of the last children he had all those years ago. His mother had said something along those lines and that night the little boy surprised them both. "Sarah."

"Just some paint, and extra nappies, and…chocolate?" She sighed. "I shouldn't be having cravings so late into this but that's all I want. Dark chocolate."

"Those three things shouldn't slow me down," Kaim lifted himself from the chair a little regretfully. Sarah tried to get up, but after the struggle he decided to just come around to her instead. He wrapped her in a hug and she gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I'll be back before you know it."

"I'll be here! Most likely still at this table right where you left me." Sarah smiled.

. . .

Two weeks before the baby arrived, Sarah thought about how the baby felt like it was moving into a different position. It took her a little while, and some painful moments and shifting, to realize that maybe the baby was just preparing for delivery. The thought sent her aflutter, and she found it hard to contain her excitement. The baby could be coming any day now, and she couldn't wait to hold them in her arms! She made the mistake of telling Kaim.

"Maybe you should rest."

"Sarah, don't do that. I can do it."

"Put your feet up. Sorry. But really. You should put your feet up."

"How do you feel?"

"That looked like it hurt, is it time? I'm going to Tosca!"

"Kaim!" Sarah swatted at her husband who was turning for the door. He placed his hand over hers where it rested on his arm. She sighed. Hasn't he done this before? Why was he so nervous? "I'm fine! I'm fine!" She turned her own palm so it was against his and squeezed his hand, but that didn't seem to reassure him. He still looked like he wanted one foot out the door. "Help me up."

She distracted him by having him do little things around the house. Cleaning the windows, rearranging the furniture in the nursery, sweeping out the kitchen, and all of this distracted him until he seemed to forget about her comment altogether.

.

One week before, Sarah had a meltdown.

She was writing sitting sideways in her chair. Ming Numara, the immortal Queen, had finally wrote her a letter talking about the last time they met at the Tower of Mirrors. It wasn't a particularly good meeting. The memory brought on a frown. It took the royal immortal a long time to send this letter, and Sarah was hoping it would have been a little more positive.

 _I cannot seem to shake the feeling that this Gongora person is planning something truly sinister. What good could come of him breaking the mirrors? I wonder how our lives will change. Will time catch up to us in a mere minute? I need to do more research. Do forgive me, I know you are just moments away from having a child, and I do not want to make you worry without cause. Please write back to me when the child is born, for I am very excited for you and Kaim! I'm sure this baby will let you forget about what is going on in the world for a moment._

Sarah set the paper down with a sigh. _I knew I shouldn't have mentioned Gongora in the last letter!_ she thought to herself. She tried to push away the feelings that formed at the memory of their last meeting. There were no pleasant thoughts of Gongora; the man gave her chills. He wanted to destroy their one connection to get back home. What could that possibly mean to them? What if he succeeded?

She rubbed the side of her belly. The baby twitched at the sudden change in Sarah's mood. She could feel the restlessness, and it wasn't easing her worry. Her heartbeat picked up speed, and she was suddenly breathing very deeply. It was like Ming's words were finally catching up to her. What if he closed off, or broke the mirror? Would that mean they would start aging just like the mortals around them? Could they die?

The door creaked open. Kaim was holding his to-do-before-baby list. "The garden is ready and weeded, and I just need to…set up—" Kaim stopped. Sarah looked up at him, wild eyes and breathing fast. One hand held the fabric of her blouse in a white knuckled grasp, and the other was fisted on her desk. She could see that Kaim was rushing to conclusions, but before he could even ask if the baby was on its way, she was speaking.

"What if we…die and our baby is all alo…alo…alone?" Sarah couldn't stop the flow of tears.

Kaim tilted his head. "Sarah, we're immortal—"

"But if Gongora breaks the mirror, oh gods above." Sarah covered her mouth, a shuttering wail trying to escape her lips.

Kaim's arms were around her in no time. He pulled her face into the crook of his neck and used his other hand to rub her back. Sarah buried her face into his shirt and let out her cry. Kaim's embrace tightened as much as he could with the baby in-between them. "Don't worry. Don't worry. It's not going to get that far."

Sarah knew it was pointless to argue. Why keep herself in this state? Besides, she had more than herself to think about. She nodded and sniffled and pulled on the back of Kaim's shirt. He brushed a hand through her hair and held her close.

. . .

Kaim woke up with a start at Sarah's sudden gasping. It wasn't loud or shrieking, but it was full of emotion. He turned on the lamp beside the bed and turned to her. He grew anxious when he saw that she was curled into herself and shaking. "Sarah?" he asked, almost afraid to touch her. When he did finally set a gentle hand on her shoulder, she let out a sob she was holding in. Kaim shoved the panicked feeling down further into his chest before he pushed hair away from her face. Her teary eyes met his own. "What's wrong?"

"He was there! And the baby!" She bit down on her lip and shoved her face into the pillow.

Kaim felt relief that it was only just a dream; a continuation of her earlier panic. He scooted down into the blankets and lightly tugged her arms away from her until he could curl his own around her. "It was just a dream, Sarah."

"It was just a dream," he heard her repeat. She took a shaky and unsure breath. "Just a dream, Sarah."

Kaim used his free hand to wipe away a few stray tears. She sniffled and then grew quiet. "Did you want to talk about it?"

Sarah shook her head. "Not now, no."

He understood and stayed awake until her breathing even out. He couldn't help but to think back upon his second meeting with the golden-haired wizard, a bitter memory coming forth.

.

Kaim woke up with a splitting headache. The light of the room danced behind his eyelids and he dared himself to open them again.

The queasiness that was brought to his attention could only come from a spell, and it wasn't often that anyone could cast one over him. He tried to think through the pain that was assaulting his head and vision. _What happened?_

Gongora. He remembered the magician. It was only their second face to face meeting, in this world. It wasn't pleasant. _Aren't we supposed to go home?_

Seth. She was yelling—remembering that made Kaim's head and stomach swim. The immortal pirate traveled all the way here, leaving her son and dear friend to run her ship, only to have the plan go wrong because one person decided to stay.

Ming. The Numaran Queen. She was not sure about leaving her people, but she was willing to answer the call to the mirrors. Sarah was excited to see her again, but—

 _Sarah!_ Kaim jerked up, scrambling to his knees and looking around him. His wife lay a few feet away from him, motionless. With a dry swallow he crawled over to her sleeping form. "Sarah," he choked out. "Wake up."

Why was everything coming out so slowly? Weren't they immortal? He glanced around to the bright mirrors in front of them. He could feel something familiar coming from them, something that felt like he had experienced before. The tugging feeling wasn't unpleasant, but he found that he still wanted to run as far away from here as possible. Looking at the light made his stomach flop again. He tried shaking Sarah. "Please wake up."

Sarah twitched, one eye opening. There was a moan and she curled onto her side. "I feel horrible."

"What the hell!" Kaim squinted to his side. Seth was sitting up, sword in one hand, the other shielding her eyes from the light that came from the other side of the room. "Where's Gongora?"

"Not here, I am guessing." Ming was getting up, not seeming fazed at all about the momentary sleep. Kaim remembered that she herself was a spellcaster, one of the best around. Maybe she didn't need anything to help from waking up from the magic sleep. Kaim thought her lucky as he pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to get his head to stop pounding. "Something seems off."

Kaim watched as Ming made her way closer to the mirrors. Sarah finally uncurled herself and rubbed her eyes under her glasses. She was squinting at the queen and the mirrors trying to adjust to the room again. "I can feel the change!" she exclaimed with a wince. Kaim guessed she wasn't feeling all too well herself. He rubbed the space between her shoulder blades. "Do you, Ming?"

The queen nodded. She stopped a few feet from the towering devices that connected the two worlds. With one hand she rubbed the air in front of her. Kaim watched as a ripple of blue light moved away from Ming. "A wall?"

Sarah was up at that, taking staggered steps towards the queen. "I don't know much about these mirrors but I do know about this kind of magic!" Kaim watched the two women converse for a moment, before getting up and going to his angry blue-haired friend.

Seth accepted his hand and looped her sword through her belt. She rubbed calloused palms on her eyes before blinking back up at Kaim. "I feel like a thousand tiny needles have all pinpointed into my skull."

Kaim made a noise of agreement. "Gongora is scheming something."

"That bastard is gonna pay for putting me to sleep!" Seth screeched. Kaim winced, head throbbing. "Sorry."

"We can't go back." Sarah and Ming walked over to them. Sarah reached up and enveloped Kaim's face with her palms. He felt the soothing spell erase the traces of pain away from his head. Ming was doing the same for Seth, though it couldn't erase the scowl from her face. Ming continued, "Sarah found a message in the wall."

"We need all five of us before that wall will come down." Sarah was adjusting her glasses and looking back behind her. "That is a wall without any chinks in the armor. We can't take it down with any hits and it has an unlimited amount of energy coming from that world." She looked back over to them. "We're not going anywhere unless we convince Gongora to come with us." 

"And who knows where he has gone to," Kaim finished with a sigh. This was getting more complicated than he could have ever imagined.

. . .

It started at about mid-day. Sarah was on her way down the steps when she felt the first twinge of a contraction. She rubbed her back. She didn't feel the need to tell Kaim just yet, especially since that one wasn't even bad. For all she knew it would be another day before anything came of it. She took note of the time anyway and continued down the steps.

Twenty-five minutes later, another happened just as she was taking a sip of water. She waited it out and looked at the clock again.

The next one happened five minutes later, and she almost panicked but knew there couldn't be any way the baby would be coming that fast. "Besides it didn't really hurt. You're okay, Sarah." She just needed a pep talk.

Thirty minutes later and the cramping started along with the twinge in her lower back. Nothing too bad, it hardly felt like the kinds of cramping she would get with her monthlies. "I don't need to tell Kaim yet." She picked up the book she was reading, but not before noting the time.

It was nearing three o'clock when Sarah had to actually stop what she was doing and concentrate on breathing through a contraction. It didn't last long, but the increase in pressure finally put Sarah in _Find Kaim_ mode. She wobbled through the lower level of the house, and managed to totter up the steps before finding him in the library taking a cat nap at their window bench. She smiled at the nice little picture he made before she knew she would have to wake him up. She prepared herself for the inevitable _Panic Mode_ _Kaim_.

The gentle shake woke him up. Kaim smiled lazily up at her, stretching limbs out. "Hey."

"Hey," Sarah said back. She took a little breath in, and as she was breathing out she said, "contractions have started."

 _Panic Mode_ _Kaim_ was alert and ready to go. "When."

"Noonish."

"What time is it now?"

"Three."

"Sarah!" He jumped to his feet, placing firm hands on her upper arms. "Sarah. That's three hours ago. How are you? How are they? The contractions, I mean, are they painful? How many minutes apart?"

"They aren't bad!" She gently pulled her arms from his, and put her hands on his face. "They are twenty minutes apart still. The pressure is getting a little bit more intense."

"Tosca?" Sarah almost laughed. Every bump, gasp, and cry she had let out in the past two weeks had him asking this question. She finally was able to nod her head. Kaim guided her to sit down. "I'll be back with Elaine in a moment."

He rushed out of the door. Sarah looked out the window, but turned back around when she saw her husband's reflection pop back into view. "What?"

"I love you." Sarah melted at his expression. He looked excited but at the same time a little terrified. After another five seconds of him staring at her, she finally rolled her eyes.

"You're acting like it's your first time! Go! The longer you stall—" Sarah set a hand to her back and hunched over a little. Kaim jumped into action immediately, and Sarah found herself shooing his hands away. "I can talk through this and it's not bad, but Kaim don't waste time!"

. . .

Kaim practically carried the midwife all the way back to the mansion. As soon as they hit the door, he was bounding towards the steps taking two at a time to reach the library. When he pushed open the door, he found Sarah sleeping, head pressed against the window. He paused and allowed his breathing to slow, and to give time for the other woman behind him to catch up.

She didn't look to be in pain. It had been awhile since Kaim had the pleasure in welcoming a child into the world, and even longer since he had the chance to see the delivery, so he was trying to remember all the details of past experiences and what he and Sarah had discussed in their many conversations in the past months.

He walked over to her calmly. No signs of any wetness was on her clothes or around the bench she sat on. Her face wasn't contorted in pain and she wasn't griping her back or anything, even in sleep. Elaine's face popped in, and she smiled up at the worried father-to-be. "It is fine that she is resting, good actually. Let's let her sleep for a little while longer. Do you have any fruit? And we can prepare some cold water. It's good for the both of you to keep hydrated!"

Kaim reluctantly left Sarah to her snoozing and padded down the stairs. They left the door open in case Sarah needed to call out, and he led the older woman to their kitchen.

Elaine was one of a few midwives who traveled to Tosca when there was soon to be a birth happening. When Sarah first found out she was pregnant, she had sent a letter to the city of Gohtza to inform the correct offices of a new life coming to Tosca, and they had sent out a few profiles of midwives. Sarah picked Elaine. For the first six months Elaine would make the four day trip to the small village to visit her, soothing any worries Sarah couldn't voice to Kaim or didn't have answers to, and doing all of the general checkups. After six months, Elaine came to Tosca as a semi-permanent resident and aided Sarah, and a few other soon-to-be-new mothers who didn't have a midwife yet, with whatever they needed. She would stay with Kaim and Sarah for a week after the baby is born before making her way back home. For now, or at least until Sarah woke up, she was there to distract Kaim.

She instructed the nervous husband to cut an apple and a banana, arranging it as neatly as his nerves would allow, and prepare anything they might need for the impending birth. "Some towels, good scissors and a clamp, and alcohol for sterilization. On your runs to Saman, you did get those things, right?"

"Yes, ma'am." Kaim went to the little kitchen closet and pulled out a small leather bag. He showed her the contents and she hummed her approval. "Uhm. Miss—"

"Kaim, you can call me Elaine. You make an old woman blush with all your ma'am's and miss'." Elaine patted his shoulder.

"E-Elaine," he blew out a breath he was holding and finished, "am I allowed in the room during…? Have I asked before—I don't really know the customs here and the last time…well it's been a long time. I guess I should have asked sooner. I mean, it's not too late to ask—?"

"Oh, you and that long life of yours." Kaim and Sarah felt it was necessary to let Elaine in on the Tosca secret. She was a little shocked at first and didn't totally believe it, but warmed up to the idea of their never-ending lives. "I know in Gohtza the husband steers clear of the mess, but this is Tosca and you two are…unconventional, to say the least." She gave him a warm smile. "I don't mind if you're in the room so long as it doesn't hinder the process at all."

Kaim could feel that heavy burden wash away. He had been worried that he would be shooed out of the room. He had heard horror stories of birth and death—unfortunately, having an experience in one, too—and when he wasn't allowed to be with a loved one during the whole ordeal, it about killed him. He remembered all the pacing he did, and all the twitching, and thudded heartbeats as he waited for any news. He remembered the stillness in his body when he would hear a moan or a scream tear through the many homes he shared with wives past, and the queasiness that stuck with him like a warm warning after.

The one time the baby didn't make it—Kaim shook the thought away, concentrating instead on arranging the fruit on the plate once more. Though, he couldn't shake the weariness he suddenly felt, or the way his mind lingered in sorrow for the loss.

Elaine laid a withered hand on top of his and he looked up. She was handing him her handkerchief and he didn't even realize he was crying. "I'm sorry," he said, dabbing at the wetness on his cheeks and eyes.

"There is nothing to be sorry for." She sounded almost tired, like she knew all the exact concerns he was expressing through his tears, and the gloom of it was bringing her down. "I can see you're worried, and I can't say that nothing bad could happen, but know that Sarah is strong. She is so strong and this has been a smooth road for you both."

Kaim nodded once and handed the cloth back to her.

The kitchen door slowly swung open, and Kaim found himself rushing to Sarah immediately. "Hey, you shouldn't be up."

"I needed the walk. The contractions are starting to hurt a little." She raised her head up to look at him with a little smile.

He watched as her eyes widened and her gentle hands stretched up to his face. She was smoothing away the trail left behind one last tear, but Kaim shook his head and leaned into her palm a little, leaving a kiss in the middle of it. "Don't worry about me. Are you hungry?"

Sarah tore her eyes away and looked at the little plate of fruit on the counter. She smiled and Kaim led her over to the kitchen island and sat her sideways on the stool. As he went around to grab her plate, Elaine began pushing gently on her stomach.

"Well the baby feels to be getting into position. If they are starting to intensify I imagine your waters will rush sooner rather than later." The older woman smiled and made room for Kaim to come over with the plate. "Eat what you can, and it might be good if you took a walk with Kaim outside. I will go prepare the room."

Sarah ate and they did just as she said. Kaim offered his arm, Sarah took it, and they began their slow walk around the grass outside. The fresh air seemed to be doing a little good for Sarah. He saw that she was closing her eyes and breathing in deeply as they made their laps.

"How are you feeling?"

Sarah gave Kaim's arm a little squeeze. "Fine, a little achy." She reopened her eyes and turned towards him. "What about you? May I ask what was bothering you so much back there?"

Kaim took a moment to answer. They paused their walk, and he found himself looking over to the cliffside a little away from their home. He concentrated on the faint crash of the waves against the rocks. "I was just…remembering." He turned towards her, taking his hand and tucking a loose strand of her hair back into place. "There was…one time."

He didn't want to say it. Not now. He looked down at Sarah, and grimaced when he could see that she probably knew what he was trying to say. Or at least the gist of it. He felt guilty, but a moment after it passed, and she was squeezing his arm again. "I'll be fine. You already know this, but I do happen to be an immortal."

She smiled, but Kaim couldn't quite make one himself. "I'm not exactly worried about you," he admitted.

He could see that if finally clicked with Sarah. She folded her hands into his. "I'm strong, and this has been a pretty smooth pregnancy, though I don't have much to compare it to but books and other's experiences. I do know that I'm fine. You're fine. We'll be fine! The baby, too."

It was the same words Elaine had said, but they sounded a lot more convincing coming from Sarah. Kaim leaned down, lips brushing against hers. He kissed her nose, her cheeks, and her forehead before whispering his thanks between her breathless giggles.

They continued their walk until one contraction had Sarah almost doubled over. She was trying to ask him to time it, but he couldn't hear her through her gasps. He stood still watching as she caught her breath again. "I think that lasted longer than the others?"

Sarah could only nod. He led her back towards the house. As they were reaching the door, she leaned against it with her hand. Kaim could feel his heart in his throat, as he leaned down with her. "Sarah?"

"I can't tell if I just wet myself or…" She let out a little laugh.

"Elaine!" Kaim called through the door. He helped Sarah inside, careful not to hurry as they walked through the door.

The midwife made her way down the steps and nodded her head. "It's really time to get to business!"

The next few hours were a rush. As the sky grew darker and darker, Sarah became more and more restless. By the time their clock read seven, she was deep into her active labor, and Elaine informed Kaim that the baby could be making its way any moment. Kaim felt his stomach flip over, but knew it was time to support Sarah in any way he could. He held her hand, kept the sweat off her forehead and nose, kept her glasses on straight.

His wife wasn't saying much, focusing on her breathing and squeezing his hand when she needed to. Kaim could see the little twitch of relief on her face when Elaine was instructing him to become her support behind her. "It's really time?" she asked with a nervous kind of laugh. It quickly turned into a groan.

Elaine smiled and nodded. Kaim sat on his knees behind Sarah on her choice of the floor. She leaned against him, allowing her body to recline until she felt most comfortable. "It's time, it's time, it's time," she repeated, breathing in through her mouth and out through her nose. "Kaim it's time. It's here."

"I know, and you're doing beautifully." Kaim pressed a quick kiss to her ear and was rewarded with her shaky laugh. "I'm here."

"Thank you." She looked into his eyes for a moment before she was pulled back into another contraction. Kaim could feel the muscles in her back tighten and he was in awe that she was able to live through that kind of ache with only a low groan. She leaned back after and said it again, "It's time." Kaim grit his teeth and watched as the midwife got into position below them.

. . .

Kaim couldn't find his voice or the right choice of words. Moments like this left him speechless and dazed. The squirming, softly crying being was laid gently on Sarah's chest. He watched as Sarah gasped and rested her hands on their daughter.

"Daughter," Kaim whispered, finally finding something to say.

"Our." Sarah's voice broke. Kaim brushed away the sweaty hairs that clung to her temple and strung into her eyes, as Sarah tried her voice again. She took a breath in. "Our daughter."

Small bits of hair were matted to their new baby as her little voice quieted from Sarah's touch. Kaim watched in amazement as eyes blinked open and little wrinkles formed from the action. He gently moved a finger down her cheek. She was soft, and he couldn't help but to use the word 'new' to describe her, and she was so beautiful.

A tear slipped from his eyes, and then another. He let them fall as a wide smile broke out onto his face. He looked down at Sarah who was still staring down at the baby, though with her own tears to match. He bent over and kissed her face, Sarah startled at the sudden touch of his lips. He leaned his forehead against hers, whispering anything and everything he could think of to show Sarah how much he truly appreciated this gift.

After the baby was cleaned, fed, and Elaine was in her room for the rest of the night, Kaim was finally able to sit and hold his new child in peace. Sarah had tried to stay up, but exhaustion had caught back up to her, and she lay sleeping on her side. Kaim watched for a moment as the love of his never-ending life, the new mother to his little girl, snored quietly from her place on the bed. Kaim let his eyes wander down to the equally sleeping baby in his arms.

He began to wonder to himself; how many centuries had past since his last daughter was born? Could he remember that time so long ago? Was it as perfect as this? Trying to compare it felt maddening; his mind only able to think about the new life in his arms. He watched as his daughter sucked in a lip and stirred from the motion. He gently righted her lips and rocked her back into sleep. The connection created, the deep love and fierce protectiveness, was so sudden and absolute that Kaim couldn't help another round of tears that sprang to his eyes. His little girl wouldn't ever be alone. He made a vow to never leave her side, to not go off in search of adventure. His place was here, his daughter safely sleeping in his hold. "I promise, Lirum," he started in a whisper. "I promise I'll always be here for you."

Lirum cooed in her sleep as Kaim placed a kiss on the top of her head.


	9. Memory Stolen

The panic and fear. The slowness in their steps. The waves crashing below them as time seemed to slow into infinity.

Kaim tried to move faster, but it was like he was stuck. Nothing could propel his legs any more, and the strain in his muscles made him want to die. He would actually rather die than to see what was happening before him.

His daughter, just eight years old, was only moments ago laying in the tall grass, not anywhere near the edge of the cliff to the cold sea below. He knew she was safe. She was always safe. Sarah saw to that by making sure there was a wall that traced the cliff's edges so that their daughter could never somehow wander off from it.

The low, barely audible buzzing stopped. It even took Sarah a few minutes to realize that something had happened to it. She gripped his arm, and he looked up from where they sat. "Something is wrong." It was like her words were coming in slow motion. He took several seconds to finally understand what she was saying.

"What do you mean?" What was this feeling? Like something heavy was being draped around his shoulders. He suddenly felt the need to lay down, air becoming so thick he could hardly think straight.

The next words out of Sarah's mouth seemed to be at normal speed. "My wall is gone!"

"Lirum, don't move." There wasn't an answer in the grass. Kaim stood up to see that his daughter was no longer there. His legs seemed to take forever to function so that he could turn around. "Lirum?"

Sarah was up too, adjusting her glasses too slowly. _What was going on?_ he thought sluggishly to himself. He lifted one leg into the air and that motion that should have taken only a moment seemed to last an eternity. Her hand was suddenly gripping his arm. Bruising, painful nails digging into his bicep, as she screamed. "Don't move!"

Kaim looked behind him to where Sarah was yelling to. There she was, pigtails and all, at the edge of the cliff. The buzzing that should be loud and clear in his ears were agonizingly absent. All he could hear was the crashing of the waves and his own voice screaming her name. As he moved slower and slowly forward, she inched closer to the edge. Didn't they teach her better? What was going on in her head? Did it have to do with this feeling he was experiencing? His legs beat heavy on the ground, sounding like explosions to his ears. "Lirum! Lirum!"

Sarah was moving too, but each step took days. She screamed, eyes wide, the sound deafening to Kaim. As they got closer to Lirum, time seemed to be catching up. It was as if it was playing with him. One hand outstretched and she finally turned around. He knew. He knew then that it was too late. Her green eyes seemed to be apologizing to him. _Sorry for the new misery you are going to experience. Sorry for the hurt I am about to cause you_ , she seemed to say as she turned back towards the sea. "LIRUM!"

The weight dropped back onto him like iron, and he dropped to his knees as his world plunged herself into the wild, and cold sea. _The cliff is too dangerous, Kaim,_ Sarah had said to him once. _One wrong slip_ —

He pounded his fists into the ground as the crash of water hit the cliff below. A broken vow to keep Lirum safe echoed into his ears. He couldn't breathe, the grief breaking him into two. He looked down again, and his mind became hazy. He watched as the water turned dark and listened as Sarah's voice broke into tiny pieces. He stood up, legs like lead and reached out for her. She turned slowly, tears moving down her cheeks. His arms pulled her into him, their sobs mixing into each other; a sad movement against the clashing of the sea below.

Why wasn't he jumping into the water? Why wasn't she jumping too? Could Lirum have survived? There wasn't a risk in dying, he knew that. He looked up as if this was new information for him. Of course, he was immortal! He should be jumping in, but why couldn't he get his legs to move? Why was his head filled with feathers?

He instead looked ahead blankly to the other side of the cliff, one separated by a gap. There stood another person and a blinding purple light. Who was it? Why couldn't he jump? Why was Sarah's voice drifting away, and why couldn't he remember anything? Why was he crying?

He wiped away the tears as Gongora motioned a finger to him. Instantly, he let go. He left the strange grieving woman beside him, walking around the cliff to the other side.

"Come. Take off your shirt." Kaim did as he was ordered, pulling off his vest and unbuttoning the white shirt underneath. He unthinkingly folded them neatly before handing them over to this man. Gongora's laugh was loud, but Kaim didn't flinch away. "Why can't I remember what I was doing? Who is that woman, and why is she crying?" He was surprised as a tear escaped from his eye, and he looked down confused.

"Never mind that, Kaim Argonar." Gongora rested a hand on Kaim's head. He could feel something cold run down his spine. "I need to make sure you are ready to serve me. First thing I'd like you to do is swim. No matter if you die of shock like that poor girl just did, or drown a few times, I want you to wake up and still swim. Swim until you see Grandstaff."

"Grand…staff?" Kaim felt his brow crease. "Swim to Grandstaff?"

"That's it. Be a good lad and swim all the way. When you get there, I'll tell you what to do next."

Kaim didn't understand why he would need to do this. Should he trust this stranger? What would be in it for him? He looked back at the woman still crying on the cliffside. She was on her knees, head touching the earth, but he could still hear her distant cries. He moved, wanting to get closer and comfort her, but Gongora brushed past him. "I'll take care of the woman, you just worry about your first task."

Shrugging, Kaim turned away to the ocean. He walked to the edge, watched as a few waves swirled on by before diving into the cold water below.

. . .

A sob wracked her body and soul, if Sarah could say that she had one. She could hardly breathe between the sorrow and the heavy magic that lay across her shoulders. She cried into the dirt, body moving with her emotions.

She felt a boot rest on her ribs, and before she could pull herself together to look at who it belonged to, said boot pushed her right over. She stared up at the gray sky for a moment before letting her eyes travel over to the person who kicked her down. Confused eyes stopped on Gongora. "Worthless woman. We meet again."

"Why? Why are you here?" Sarah felt herself grow cold. The source of the heavy magic was coming from this man with a wicked grin. Two and two put together, and she was on her feet in moments. Her own anger and magic flaring up, and she noted the slightly surprised expression on his face as her own energy pushed back on his. "You did this to her! You did this to us! Kaim will—Kaim? Where is he?" Her heart grew still as she looked around. Her husband was nowhere near, and she suddenly felt sick. "What did you do to him?"

"I did nothing he didn't want to already do to himself." Gongora stepped up to her, towering over her with his height. She felt her throat clam up, but she was ready to fight back with her magic. "Ah, I see the little witch wants to play games. Too bad one of us is stronger than the other."

Sarah's mouth opened, a scream tearing through her. The pain she felt in her head was worse than any ache that she had experienced in her long life. She felt his magic invade her body, leaving her lifeless and alone. She screamed again when he pressed his hand to her temple. Legs finally giving out, she fell crying. "Stronger than I thought. I can't believe you were able to suppress me for this long. Compared to your dear Kaim, you could have been a marvelous assistant," he said, and Sarah watched as his hand glowed violet. "It doesn't matter what I did to him. It was you who failed to jump after your own child. It was your fault the wall you used to protect your daughter from the ice below us, vanished!"

Gongora bent down into her face. Sarah could feel the tears fall from her eyes, and the anger wash away with a crippling sadness. "Nothing will bring her back. Not even your husband who jumped in after her. It is too late. And here you are, crying into the dirt. You have no courage. You are a worthless mother. Why don't you just die?"

 _I can't_ , Sarah thought, pain and misery washing over her in waves. What she would do to die in this moment. What she would do to leave this world behind and join her sweet, young daughter in death. Never would she be able to hold her. Not here in this immortal life or the one after. She brought hands up to her eyes, bitter tears streaming from them. What she would do to erase the past, to forget this moment forever.

Gongora's hand gripped her shoulder tightly. "I can help you with that. You don't need to ever remember about this again. You can live out your endless days in mystery rather than misery."

"You…you can do that?" Sarah's body shook violently. She needed this pain to vanish. She selfishly wanted to forget. If it would stop this never-ending desolation and stop the image of her only child falling to her demise, she would take any poisonous medicine. She sobbed and let her arms fall to her side. _I'm so weak._

Gongora lifted his other hand and placed it on her cheek. Sarah almost laughed at how gentle it seemed, before the violet pain shot through her again. "Already done." And it was the last thing she heard him whisper before the world went white.

When she awoke, she wondered briefly why she was on a cliff by the sea. She grimaced at the pain still pounding her skull as she adjusted her glasses on her nose. When she finally could let her eyes adjust, she took a closer look at her surroundings. In the distance there sat a mansion, it's high walls seemed to speak to her, whisper its secrets.

She climbed onto her feet and rubbed hands on her cold upper arms. It felt like she was waking up from a long and dreamless sleep. She took one step forward, saying to herself, "I wonder who lives there, and if they'll let me stay the night?"


	10. Late

Kaim paced the floor for the third time that day. Sarah was four months late getting home, and if it wasn't for the letters reassuring him that she was fine and still on her way, he would have walked himself over to get her three months ago.

She was never late.

Kaim never waited.

This was the first time he had ever had to wait for her to come home and he found that he did not like it; not one bit. The minutes, the hours, the days wore on keeping him a bundle of nerves. Often, he found himself wondering if this was what it felt like for her when he was late getting home and vowed to never do it to her again. It was miserable work being worried.

At first, it was okay. Things happened, delays were made, Kaim didn't let it get to him. The first month he only wrote to her two times to check in. She was still doing research on a disease in a faraway village and was trying her best to get it solved in a timely manner. If it allowed these mortals peace of mind, he could wait another week or two.

He received a letter in the middle of the next month, basically saying that she was going to be late but hopefully not too late. Fine. Kaim knew she was safe and he relaxed into his chair.

Two weeks later he got this:

 _TO: Kaim Argonar, Tosca_

 _Still a little late. Found the cure. Making more._

 _S. S._

Kaim's anxiety hadn't peaked this high in a very long time. What could have held her up so long? Was the sickness that serious in the little village? He was a little worried that she herself would contract this illness, but with the cure on hand, and her immortal life and their higher than normal immune system, that worry faded away. Kaim did worry about the abrupt letter. Sarah always had a ton to say. _She didn't even spell her name all the way,_ he thought to himself. Kaim wrote back:

 _TO: Sarah S., Ehstervall Village, Uhra ATTN: Vall Inn_

 _It's odd to see such a short letter coming from you. Is everything okay? Do I need to come and get you?_

 _Kaim_

Kaim knew in the back of his head that the letter wasn't going to be instantaneous; that he would not receive a reply the next day. He almost lost his mind when it took three and a half weeks to get back to him, and all it said was:

 _TO: Kaim Argonar, Tosca_

 _No. On my way home._

Kaim received _that_ letter a three weeks ago, and he decided in the morning he was going to pull on his boots and make his way towards Uhra. Maybe he'd pass her along the way.

In the early morning, just as he wrapped the scarf around his face, there was a thump on the door. He pulled it open to see his wife stumble in. She was dusted in snow that was already melting on her heavy cloak, but she was whole and safe. "Hey!"

He pulled her into a hug, feeling like he was never going to let her go. She buried her cold nose in his neck and laughed. "I'm home!"

"You're home," he agreed, pressing her body closer. Sarah was here, and all would be okay.

. . .

Sarah knew Kaim liked to get to Tosca as soon as he could. She had known him for two hundred years now, and when he said that he was coming for a visit she could always expect him within a week. So, when that week turned into two months, she started to grow worried. _I don't know why I'm so nervous,_ she thought to herself, peeking through her window for the thirteenth time that day. _He can't die. He'll make it eventually._

Eventually ended that late afternoon. Sarah was just putting on some tea to help her jittery nerves when she heard a knock on the door. She quickly set her cup down, careful not to splash it in her excitement, and ran to the door.

There stood the weary soldier, and in his arms the reason why he was so late. "Sorry."

"He's very cute!" Sarah scratched behind the dog's ear. The little dog—he might have been just a puppy—wiggled in delight, and Kaim carefully set him down inside Sarah's house. The gray dog seemed to bounce on his heels as he scampered up onto the chair next to the door, trying to get tall enough to reach Sarah's face. She giggled as he excitedly licked her cheek when she bent down. "Name?" she asked him.

"Well, he answers to dog."

"You can't just call him _dog_!" Sarah itched the puppy on his back and he barked and raced little circles in her chair.

"I'm not good at naming things," Kaim said with a sigh. He picked up the excited thing and sat in his place, looking like he had aged centuries in his journey to the mountain village. The dog obediently sat on his lap, wagging his tail when Kaim laid a hand on his head.

Sarah giggled at him again, he raised a brow. "You look exhausted," she said with a hint of a smile.

"It's like looking after a child."

Sarah laughed again when the dog barked in agreement. "Well, looks like he's stuck with you!" She smiled fully when Kaim groaned as the dog barked in her favor again.

. . .

Kaim waited outside as his daughter took her time inside the Boutique Store. They were in Uhra shopping for new clothes, as he promised for her sixteenth birthday, and he regretted everything. He waited patiently, as much as he could anyway, as his daughter _shopped till she dropped_ , as she had put it. He watched as the sun moved lazily in the sky and was at least thankful the spring hadn't yet given up its coolness just yet.

Another hour later, and the door finally ringed open. He watched as she carefully balanced boxes and bags, managing to throw his considerably lighter wallet to him. He sighed. "We're going to be late."

"No, we're not." She peeked around her purchases and gave Kaim her most dazzling smile. He snorted but knew her smile worked when his frown dropped from his face. "Besides it's not like we're keeping anyone important waiting. At the moment."

"You say that." He grabbed three boxes from her, and they made their way to the inn where they were staying. There she unceremoniously dropped everything onto the bed and started digging around. Kaim joined in her laughter at all the silly things she bought, eventually shooing her into the bathroom to get changed. "We still need to meet your _unimportant_ Uncle at the restaurant. I'm giving you…" Kaim looked down at his watch, then back up, "four minutes!"

"Okay, okay!"

Kaim lifted an eyebrow when she strolled out ten minutes later. She folded her hands in front of her and bobbed her shoulders cutely. "Sorry! Let's go!"

Her long dark hair was pinned away from her face, and she looked beautiful in the blue dress she chose to wear. He smiled sadly at her, and she must have noticed because in an instant she was at his side, giggling and tugging on his arm. She never liked to see him frown and he supposed he could hold it back for the next few hours.

The sound of her tinkering laugh brought him back into focus, as she pulled him out the door.

.

Kaim's brother-in-law gave him a firm handshake and kissed the top of his daughter's head. He wished her a happy birthday, and she thanked the older man kindly. They only visited Uhra once a year so spending time with her uncle was very important in their short time in the city. As the night air chilled around them, Kaim noticed just how late it was. They needed to leave now if they were going to make it, and Kaim didn't want to be late for their yearly tradition. He invited his brother out with them, but he declined. "I visited her yesterday," he said to the immortal. "You guys go on ahead. I'll see you off in the morning."

It was dark. The almost midnight hour brought no extra bodies, so they were very much alone in the streets of the city. Kaim's daughter walked close to him, covering a yawn with a hand. He smiled down to her, hand patting the one that held onto his arm.

They eventually made it to their destination, Kaim checking his watch in the torchlight above him. It was one minute till midnight; one minute till the new day. "Another year's gone past," he said quietly.

His daughter sat on the ground next to the marble stone, letting her skirt spread wide around her. She brushed her fingertips in the indentation, reading aloud, "Geraldine M. Argonar." Kaim watched as the seconds ticked on by, and then finally squatted down and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. It was midnight, and the day had begun anew. When she looked up at him, he solemnly nodded his head. She pressed fingers to her lips and touched the cool stone again. "Happy birthday, Mama."

. . .

. . .

It was day three of Sarah waking up in a cold sweat and sour stomach. She washed her face in the basin and rubbed her tired eyes. When was the last time she felt so exhausted after getting a restful night's sleep? She looked up into the mirror. No, she didn't look tired. She checked her temperature with her hand. She didn't feel warm. "I don't get sick often, but maybe this is something else?" she wondered to herself.

She made it down the steps of the mansion she shared with her husband. When she got to the ground floor, she stretched and tried to find anything else that was abnormal about her body. Other than the tenderness of her chest, which was another mystery, she found that her stomach was growling loudly. "Maybe it's the winter weather?" She frowned. That couldn't be it, but there just wasn't anything sticking out in her mind.

Knowing that she needed to get to Tosca, she threw on her cloak and made her way outside. The snow crunched softly under her boots, bringing a smile to her face. She loved the feeling of winter. The snow could grow annoying, especially so high up on the mountain, but the calm and tranquility it left in the air was something she looked forward to every year. The trip to Tosca was uneventful, though she did bump into Tatum, a little boy from the Mountain Village. He took it upon himself to walk Sarah the rest of the way to Tosca only letting her out of his sight when they met up with Kaim.

"Thank you, Tatum!" She patted his hat, and he blushed and moved out of the way of more.

"You're embarrassing the poor boy," Kaim said fondly.

"He's getting to be so big!" Sarah watched as the little boy wandered off. "Any mail?"

Kaim passed along the letters, holding one for himself. "King of Gohtza."

"I wonder what Mars needs?" She ran a hand over the royal seal. The wax was cold and stiff in the winter weather.

Kaim shrugged, tucking the letter into his shirt. "Still feeling a little sick?"

"A little. It's weird!" Sarah linked a gloved hand into his as they walked towards the Inn. She hadn't eaten breakfast yet, and she knew that Kaim had left for town ahead of her, so he probably didn't eat either. "But also, I am so hungry," she whined. "I feel like I haven't eaten in hours!"

Kaim laughed.

.

Sarah was folding her laundry when it finally hit her. She dropped the blouse she was holding and quickly made it up the stairs into her personal study. She looked around her messy desk for a little calendar. Once she found it, she started counting back the days.

She let the calendar fall from her hands. She was late. Really late. She hadn't had her monthly cycle in two months. The sickness, hunger, her aching breasts, it all made sense. She stood still, again trying to feel any difference in herself, but found none that wasn't already noted.

"Looks like the King needs help with some sort of gang that has sprung up in Gohtza." Kaim poked his head inside of her study. "Want to go?"

Sarah didn't move. "Sarah?" She jumped.

"Hmm? Sorry." She turned around, hands behind her back. "S-sorry. No. I better not. I mean. I need to check…on…something," she finished lamely. She hoped her smile she plastered on her face after didn't look too crazed. "And I have some writing to finish too! You go on without me."

Kaim gave her an odd look. "Well, I'm not leaving for a few days, just let me know if you change your mind." He closed the door, leaving Sarah alone again.

She glanced back down to the calendar that sat haphazardly on her desk, one hand moving to sit on her abdomen. She had stopped taking the normal precautions to avoid this kind of situation almost five years ago. Her and Kaim had been traveling as of late, and between that and research she totally forgot that she was no longer trying to prevent any children. She stared down at her hand, and she found a little smile come onto her face. _Could I really be pregnant?_

. . .

Kaim paced the edge of the forest. His team was missing, not meeting at their rendezvous point. It was late morning, but they should have been there before the sun crest the horizon. He peered out again, hand shielding the morning sun. Sighing when he saw no group, he decided to go against orders and turn back.

This mission should have been simple. Retrieve a stolen artifact from some thieves who took from the King and Queen of Gohtza. Kaim had done these kinds of missions before and generally came back unscathed. This was different. He could feel it in his gut as he strapped his dagger onto his belt. The hood he pulled up should shield his known face from any stray enemies. Hopefully, the mortal mercenaries were alright. He didn't feel like burying anyone today.

. . .

Sarah held her skirts in one hand as she charged down the street. She was running late, cursing the clock that failed to ring this morning. _I'm going to miss the boat! I can't miss this boat. This is my only chance!_

She huffed and puffed her way through the throng of people, apologizing if she ran anyone over. Of course, it was going to be busy, and of course she forgot her bag at the hotel she stayed in. She would just have to buy a whole new set of clothes when she reached her destination; thankful she hadn't left her purse along with it. She cursed the day again and shimmied through a couple having some sort of argument. She didn't even turn around to apologize as she heard the chime ring noon. Sarah could almost be embarrassed by the string of expletives that ran out of her mouth if she wasn't already frustrated with how her morning had gone. She found herself running the rest of the way to the docks.

Sarah watched miserably as the one boat she needed to still be there, sailed away onto the seas. "Sorry ma'am," one sailor said to her. "You missed it by fifteen minutes."

In anger she crinkled her ticket to The Free Ocean State of Numara. "Damn." She had been trying to get to the faraway paradise for a century now, and her one time she was able to procure a visa to get there, she woke up three hours later than she expected. Now it was going to take her possibly decades to get another admittance into the country, with the impossible visitation laws that were set. She kicked a stone into the water. "Damn-it-all!"

. . .

It was late in the afternoon on a very hot summer day. Kaim was sitting on the soft grass, back leaned against a tree. He was watching the clouds roll on by and listened as the waves crashed against the cliff in the distance. Sarah was softly snoring beside him.

With Cooke and Mack grown and off on their own adventures, it left the immortals at peace. With another birth announcement from Queen Ming and Prince Jansen of Numara, it left a little ache in Kaim's heart. How could he know that Sarah was ready, or even wanted to have children again? He didn't know how to ask, so left the subject be.

That was three years ago.

When he felt his wife stir from her nap on his lap, he looked down. Sarah yawned, and slowly rose from her spot on Kaim. "It's such a nice day."

Kaim hummed in agreement. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. His lips lifted into a smile when Sarah laced her hand in his. She moved her head to this shoulder, and he leaned his own on top of hers. They sat like this for another few minutes, and Kaim wondered if Sarah had fallen asleep again. She seemed so tired recently.

"How old are we again?"

Kaim answered without thought. "One thousand and forty-three."

"Seems like we've grown old," Sarah said with a laugh. "Laying out here in the sun like old cats."

Kaim laughed along with her, saying, "Not too old though. It's not that late into our immortal lives." He pulled her hand to his lips and laid a little kiss. He could feel her smile onto his shoulder.

Sarah shifted, lifting his hand and placing it on her stomach. Kaim's eyes popped open. There was the tiniest of bumps. "Not too late for this, right?"

Kaim looked down at his hand, a wetness coming to his eyes unbidden. He gently unwrapped himself and sat in front of her on his knees. He laughed when he saw her brow crease and kissed the corner of her mouth. "Never too late."

He pressed a kiss to her lips, lingering for as long as he could.


	11. The Jungle Fever

It was the first time they would be away from each other since their travel to Numara twenty years ago. Kaim finished tying his old boots and stood with a pack around his shoulder. Sarah was outside ahead of him, and he watched as she turned when she heard their door shut. She gave him a sad smile and he returned it. "I'm going to miss you."

Kaim held out his hand, and together they walked towards the edge of Tosca. They greeted villagers along the way, informing them that one half of the immortal pair was going on a journey.

"Not so sure when I'll be back," Kaim was saying to an elderly man. "You'll have to watch over Sarah for me."

The old man laughed, and he watched as Sarah's lips quirked up the tiniest of bits. He said his farewell to the mortal gentleman and they found themselves before the Black Cave. "Here we go," Kaim said, giving Sarah's fingers a soft squeeze.

Sarah turned and fidgeted with Kaim's collar, trying not to look at his face. After a minute more of silence, he tilted her chin up and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. When he pulled away, he made sure to wipe a tear away from her cheek. "I'll be fine."

"You always are," she agreed with a sigh. "It's just the first time you'll be leaving our home since you moved into it, and I think I'm going to miss your snoring." Kaim chuckled and that brought on a full smile from Sarah. "Just your snoring, though."

"Well, I shouldn't be gone long." He kissed her cheek. "I'll come back as soon as I am able."

"I know. Be safe. Write when you can." Sarah squeezed his hand before she let go. Kaim went to the gate that separated the cave from the mountain village. After opening it up, and walking a few steps in, he turned to watch as Sarah waved at him, and closed the gate after.

. . .

It had been two years since he had left Sarah, and life wasn't going great. He was somewhere in a heated jungle, a place he had somehow never visited in his seven-hundred and sixty years of life, and the bugs were eating him and his crew alive. He swatted at his neck for the dozenth time that morning and tried moving his shirt collar up closer to his neck. "Damned bugs are gonna kill us," he heard coming to his right. His second in command was moving a little slower than normal, though Kaim didn't blame him. Between the bug bites, the heat, and the vines, everyone was wearing themselves thin; the immortal included. "I swear as soon as we find this person, I'm gonna kill him myself."

Kaim hummed a little, then turned to refocus on the undergrowth in front of him. He and his group of ten men were to find the King's old army general in this jungle and bring him in for questioning. Apparently, someone was selling Uhran secrets, and their investigation led them south. The man in question was very close to the King before they had fallen out and the man went into hiding. Kaim used his sword to cut away at the overgrown vines, and his men went on. The sooner they found this man the better. Kaim was finding that this venture was fraying his nerves.

. . .

There was the coughing first. Then the fever. Then an agonizing pain in the gut. Kaim's men were falling around him, and it only took two days to realize that something was terribly wrong. Their captured prisoner seemed fine, almost immune to the sickness that was plaguing Kaim's small group, and it seemed to him that it was only a matter of time before he was free again.

Kaim chuckled darkly at the thought. There would be no escape if even one person lived. And one would. _If only he knew._

The smug mood didn't last long. When his second in command finally started coughing, he knew it was only time before his mortal companion too would fall over.

They reached the end of the jungle, but with a two-week journey back to the Uhra, both men knew one wasn't going to make it. "Don't worry about me, sir."

"Well, I will." Kaim held onto the wanted man and tugged his comrade along.

By the end of the week, Kaim was the only one left.

By the time he reached Uhra, he felt a cough in his chest. Kaim hardly ever got sick. He could only think of a few times where the heat had given him a headache, or the first time he was on a boat and felt his stomach sour. So, he ignored the cough, choosing to get this over as quickly as possible. Besides if he died he didn't have much to worry about.

The King, overjoyed at the prisoner, but sullen at the lives lost, paid Kaim his due and he was on his way home. The sickness that washed over the small group usually lasted around three days. Kaim was on his fourth day when he felt his temperature rise. It would seem that the sickness was prolonged in his case, but he wasn't worried. He ate his words when a few days after his temperature had risen, he felt sick to his stomach. The clearing he decided to stop in would be the last time he moved in a long while. Every muscle ached, his stomach burned, and his body fever climbed. He lay moaning in the tall grass, wondering when his life would end and hoping some monster wouldn't grow curious at what was left behind.

Moments after his life did finally end, he awoke in a cold sweat. He felt an ache in his chest, and another day of traveling later, the cough started again.

. . .

It was the winter season, and Sarah thought to herself that she missed Kaim horribly. His letters stopped five months ago, though he said he was on his way back to Tosca. They had captured the wanted man, and even though the mission was fraught with tragedy, he had received his pay and was coming home.

Except that it didn't take five months to get from Uhra to Tosca. A month or two, maybe, but even that was a little slow for Kaim. Sarah looked out the small window that sat next to her door, sighing as there was no sign of the love of her unending life on the horizon.

A few more days went like this before a rush of knocking came at her door. She could hear faintly, "Miss Sarah! Miss Sarah!"

She pulled it open and a neighbor, the granddaughter of that elderly man who had just passed on a year before, stood worrying her lip. "It's Kaim. He's collapsed at the Black Cave gate!"

Sarah rushed to pull on her boots and grabbed her staff, and the woman lead her away from the house. "He doesn't look good, Miss Sarah. He looks…well…he just doesn't look good."

"It's bad?" Sarah felt herself stomp along the snow a little faster.

"I know you can't die and all, but it looks like he's at death's door."

Sarah quickened her pace even more, rushing without sliding on the snow and ice to get to the cave entrance. She saw him leaning against the gate, and her blood grew cold. She couldn't believe what she saw, that she even knew the man who sat in front of her. Sarah fell onto her knees on the ground beside him. Kaim's hair was knotted and twisted like he hadn't brushed it in months, and a dark beard was fashioned onto his face. His cheeks were sullen, and skin was pale. It was like the life was just sucked right out of him. Underneath his tattered clothing— _where is his pack?_ she thought to herself. _I know he packed more clothes than this! —_ he was hot to the touch. Despite the freezing temperature, his fever burned on; and his dry lips indicated dehydration. There were several nicks and bruises formed on his skin, and one shoulder looked a little out of place. He was fighting, trying to survive in this condition, she realized. Zephyr might not be enough to get him to stand and walk, but it was the only thing she could think to offer him now. Sarah was just about to cast her spell when he suddenly fell over.

"Kaim!" Sarah pushed hair out of his face. There was no movement, no life, in his eyes. "Kaim?" He wasn't breathing either. She scrambled to pull apart his coat sleeve to find his wrist and found that his pulse had stopped.

The woman next to her gasped. "I thought! I thought!"

"No, he'll be okay." Sarah knew she said the words aloud but wasn't exactly sure she believed them totally herself. "Um, Cate, I need you to find Trever, please!" Sarah looked up at Cate. "He'll be able to carry him. I'm not sure we can when he's…not alive."

Cate nodded and rushed back towards the village. Sarah looked at her watch and waited. Three minutes passed and still no heartbeat. There wasn't a sound or twitch coming from the immortal mercenary laying in the snow. "Kaim?" She felt his forehead and was surprised at how clammy and cold he was getting. Kaim never stayed gone for long, though it didn't look like his body was trying to come back at all. It was another ten minutes before the young woman had come back with Trever, and Sarah didn't know she was crying until she tried to speak. "He…he usually wakes up faster...I mean. Please, just…carry him to our home."

Trever silently lifted Kaim from the ground. He didn't move, his heart still lay still in his chest. Cate had squeezed Sarah's shoulder before the group moved back towards her home.

When—twenty-five minutes after his death—Trever lay him down in their bed, Kaim finally gasped back to life. His eyes didn't open but he moaned in the morning air. Sarah smiled, but it was soon wiped off her face after she realized he wasn't acting normal. There was usually more movement, Kaim could run laps moments after death, but here he was barely able to lift an eyelid. _Maybe it's because of the starvation? I need to get him something to eat,_ she told herself. Sarah thanked her two helpers and saw them to the door before going to the kitchen. She brought back with her a glass of water. Kaim still hadn't moved.

She lifted his head and he managed to drink the water. "Please say something."

"I'm," he cleared his throat and looked up at her. "Sorry."

"Don't apologize." Sarah carefully lay his head down on a pillow. He closed his eyes and Sarah set a hand to his wrist. She counted his heartbeats and frowned at the numbers. He was still alive, though it looked like barely. "Kaim what happened to you?"

An hour later he was sitting up in bed, but still looked worse for wear. Sarah steadily pumped him zephyr along with other mixes of curative spells, until he finally shook her hand off his shoulder. He rubbed his chest but still didn't say anything. She handed him more water and he smiled and carefully took the glass from her. "Thanks."

"What's going on, Kaim? You said you'd be back months ago, but I didn't hear another word."

Kaim drank the last bit of water and wiped away the dribble that fell into his beard. "I'm sick, Sarah."

"Sick?" Sarah almost laughed, but he looked so defeated. So tired. So…gruesome. "Sick?" she said again, quietly.

Kaim nodded. "Something…something got to me. I never thought I could get like this." He looked from the empty cup to her face. "In a day, I'll start coughing."

Kaim took a deep breath in and Sarah could already hear the congestion building up already. It was a deep but wet and shaky breath. "After a few days I'll get a fever that won't drop. Then I'll get sick to my stomach, muscle aches, and then finally I die."

Kaim looked down at the empty cup again. "It's happened a little over a dozen times."

Sarah gasped. With how bad and weak he looked when she first saw him, no wonder it took five months to get back to Tosca. To die every week or so would hold anyone up. There would not have been any way for him to concentrate on keeping himself fit when the cycle continued and continued. What could have caused this? How could she get him back on his feet? This couldn't be permanent. She got up, went to her desk and grabbed a pen and paper. She raced back over to his side and asked him to start from the beginning.

"I have a feeling it started with the bugs." He began to tell her all about his journey through the faraway jungle and his mission back. Sarah wrote down everything that seemed important and asked as many questions as she could.

.

After she wrote down all she could manage on the paper and got Kaim to eat some broth Cate brought over for them, she managed to convince him to take a bath. He seemed reluctant and embarrassed that she had to help him undress and walk to the bath, but did confide in her that he felt better after.

"Kaim, I don't think I can save you hair," Sarah said with a sigh, as she tried to untwist and tug away any knots. It just wasn't coming undone.

With a weak shrug, Kaim said, "It'll grow back."

If Sarah couldn't recognize him with his matted hair before, she wouldn't be able to spot him in a crowd with his newly short hair and beard. Sarah sadly swept away the knots with a broom, teasing him that she couldn't bear to look at his hair. He granted her a weak smile. It only made her feel worse.

"Let's get you to bed."

It was evening before Kaim finally fell into an uneven sleep. Sarah bit her lip and lit an oil lamp. At her desk, she pulled out a new piece of paper and got her pen out again.

She scribbled and scratched out a long message. She tried to write calmly but she could feel the dire situation deep in her gut, and it only made her more harried. When all was said and done with her letter, Sarah stuffed it into an envelope and sealed the back of it. She stood up, pulling a shawl onto her shoulders and went to her window. A cold breeze greeted her in the winter night and she pulled her clothing tighter. She placed a hand over her heart and focused on the moon in the night sky. Under her hand she collected a little ball of light and carefully held it out before her. The little ball was warm and didn't seem to be affected by the cold weather outside at all. It slowly collected more energy from her palm, and it grew warmer until she almost couldn't stand the heat. Satisfied, Sarah tossed it into the air and watched as it hovered above the snow.

"O one from the White-Winged Clan, please hear my message! I need to see you."

She flinched away as a bright white light burst from the ball, temporarily casting everything in a heated glow. She looked back towards it when she heard a soft crunch in the snow. There stood Aneira, golden wings folded around himself, though seemingly unbothered by the snow beneath his feet. He was taller than she remembered in their brief meeting in the past, but just as bright and regal as she could recall. His mouth did not open, but Sarah heard a very clear voice ask why he was summoned. "I'm sorry! I've never done this before, though Seth gave me that spell, so we could find her quickly enough. I guess this was the first time I thought to use it! I normally send out letters. And I don't know why I wasn't expecting to see such a beautiful…uh wonderful, creature! Person! I mean. Um. How are you?"

Aneira gave her a little irritated hum, and Sarah could have sworn he stomped his foot in the snow. "Right, sorry. Um." Sarah held out the letter, the winged person making no move to take it. "I need this letter to go out to Seth. There's an emergency and I'd really like her help on this."

He took the letter, and Sarah bowed low. With a more pleased hum, Aneira lifted off into the night sky. Sarah watched him disappear into the dark for a moment, before shivering and closing the window.

. . .

Three days later, Seth Balmore was at her doorstep. She was covered in furs and pelts and seemed to dislike the cold just as much as a pirate used to the warm seas should. Sarah could barely get out a word before she was stepping inside the place. "Sarah, you need to clean."

Seth turned on her heels, hands on her hips, face scowling. "I hope that's not the emergency."

Sarah rolled her eyes. "No, of course not. It's Ka—" And there came a series of deep coughs coming from their bedroom. Seth jumped at the sound, hand on her sword hilt, and Sarah sighed. "It's Kaim."

Seth made her way over to the doorway and paused at the sight of the sick man in bed. Sarah nudged her way past her, feet hurrying to him. Kaim was coughing still, eyes closed tight. His chest made deep rumbles as he gasped for air, and to her it sounded painful. Sarah laid a hand on his chest, the zephyr working almost immediately to calm him down. "You're getting warmer."

"It's not contagious?"

Sarah shook her head. Seth moved in a little closer. Sarah watched as her pirate friend looked him up and down. Seth gently laid a hand on Kaim's forehead and clicked her tongue. Kaim opened one eye and seemed to smile a tiny bit as he realized just who stood above him. "I wasn't expecting company."

"Oh, I'm not here for a visit, you sick bastard." Seth winked at him, and Kaim's laugh turned into a wheeze. "I know this illness."

"You do?" Sarah's eyes looked up, feeling hopeful. "You've seen it before?"

Seth nodded, but the frown on her face did nothing to alleviate Sarah's nerves. "About three centuries ago I sent a few men into this place, the jungle you described in your letter. Only one came back and soon perished after. You get a cough, you get a fever, your guts burn and then you keel over." Seth put a finger to her chin. "Not contagious, but terminal. No one has found a cure. You'd think we'd be immune to it."

"Well, in Kaim's case it just takes longer to do its job, and then seems to stay. I'm at a loss for why it stays in his body even after death."

The room grew quiet. Kaim had closed his eyes once again; his gentle snores the only thing to break the silence. Sarah lifted her hand off him, allowing the magic connection to dissipate. She combed her fingers through his shortened hair, sighing.

"Pack your bags." Sarah snapped her head up at the captain. Her arms were crossed over her furred chest. "Pack up! The sooner we get to this place the better it'll be for mister wheezy over here."

"But…aren't you afraid?"

"Well, we can't die. Obviously." Seth nodded her head towards the sleeping Kaim. "And what better way to find exactly what we are looking for than to go to the source?"

Sarah couldn't disagree but was still wary. "And if we contract the disease?"

"Well then, hopefully you can find a cure." Seth turned towards the door. "You're the smartest person I know. I'm sure you'll figure it out."

Sarah looked towards Kaim. While he was gaining a little bit of color back into his sunken cheeks, she was sure as soon as the fever and stomach pain set in he'd go back to looking like death. She couldn't just sit here and watch him die repeatedly. There had to be something she could do. She nodded finally agreeing with the plan. "Let me make some arrangements," she said. Seth made her way out the bedroom door, as Sarah gently nudged Kaim awake.

. . .

"Now, if he gets to coughing a lot, and it'll happen as the days go on, give him a spoonful of this." Sarah pointed to the labeled glass bottle in front of Trever and Cate. "It should sooth him and keep him from coughing up for a few hours."

Sarah looked up at the two people in front of her. "You might think it a little frightening when he finally does die, and he _will_ die. I want to warn you. When he does finally let go, it won't be scary. Kaim is used to death, so it shouldn't be anything else but him looking like he's fallen asleep. You'll know when he's back alive when you see him move again or make a few sounds."

Sarah turned to her bedroom door, her boyfriend currently shut in behind it. "Kaim has already agreed and will warn you when the stomach pains come. He says they start soon after the fever and last for about three to four days. During those days you do not need to give him anything. No food or medicine, though water helps with the cramping a little. It would be wasteful to give him anything else. He may moan a little and clutch his stomach, but don't worry about him."

Cate blanched. Sarah smiled kindly to the young woman. "I know. You don't have to come here on those days. I'm sure Trever can handle it?" The burly man beside her nodded. "I promise Kaim isn't the one to scream out in death. No thrashing, just a quiet let go." Cate nodded, and Sarah bowed her head. "You are doing me the greatest of favors. I'll try to get back to Tosca as soon as I can."

Sarah gave them the key to her house, hugged Cate goodbye, pulled her hood up, and set out from her home.

Seth waited at the edge of Tosca, rubbing her arms for warmth. Sarah chucked at her friend, the blue-haired pirate scoffing. "It's damned cold, woman! Let's leave!"

.

It took a few hours to get to the docks where Seth's massive ship awaited. Once aboard, Seth laid out their plans for their adventure. "To get to our destination it will take a week. After we dock, it'll be another day's walk and then we should start to see the trees." Seth looked Sarah up and down. "It's going to be warm, and I hope you packed more than just dresses."

"I know, and yes I packed some trousers." Sarah watched her mountain home quickly slip away into the horizon. It was always a little sad to see it go away, even more so without Kaim at her side. As another wave was split by the hull of the ship, Sarah remembered to hold on tightly to the railings. "I didn't realize your ship was this fast!" she exclaimed to Seth.

"Best tech on the sea!" Seth replied with a wink. "There's nothing you can't do when you're running on magic engines! Rest up! It's going to be quite the journey."

The week flew by quickly, and soon enough they were in warmer waters. Sarah and Seth talked about strategy. Aneira was going to stay on the ship in case anything was to surprise them in the jungle and they would need a quick way out. "He'll watch over the crew while I'm gone. If we need to send a message you know how!" Sarah nodded.

"Next, these bugs hate fire."

"Fire?" Sarah looked up from the map Seth had loaned her. "It will keep them away?"

Seth nodded, adding, "and the lantana leaf. We'll chew on the leaf at least twice a day and we'll need to bring torches. That fire must be kept going. Luckily you're a witch!" she teased.

Sarah ignored the comment. "How do you know so much?"

The pirate captain shrugged. "You hear things about that place all the time. What works, what doesn't, though no one has successfully not got bitten. All info is deadly info."

Sarah gnawed the inside of her cheek.

. . .

They reached the edge of the jungle. The walk from the ship to the tree was very uneventful, but Sarah couldn't help but to notice the quiet. No animals or any signs of life greeted them on the trail, and she wondered if that had to do with the jungle itself. Life seemed to be sucked away and she couldn't help but to think of Kaim sick on their bed. Seth practically shoved a piece of lantana leaf into Sarah's mouth. She chewed on it, disgusted with the bitter taste. "This tastes terrible."

"Well, they are poisonous to mortals, so what do you expect?"

Sarah immediately spit the leaf out, wiping the excess spit that clung to her lip. Seth shrugged and kept on chewing. Before she took another step closer, Sarah stopped her with a hand to her shoulder. Seth turned around, eyebrow raised. "I've been thinking," she started, holding up her staff.

She closed her eyes. After a minute she waved her staff in the air, releasing a long breath. When she opened them, Seth was poking her arm with her fingers. Sarah could feel the buzz reaching out from her limbs. "What did you do?"

"It's a barrier constructed to every inch of your body." Sarah smiled. "Along with the fire, the bugs shouldn't be able to touch us. Actually, we'll be able to block out almost everything! Except this humidity."

"I wouldn't have ever thought of anything like this!" Seth exclaimed, a friendly and hard pat on the back following after. Sarah had learned her lesson from many times before and held onto her glasses tightly. "We may be the first to get through this without any casualties!"

The jungle was fraught with wild things. Beasts that attacked without warning. The vines that seemed to trip you if you weren't looking. The sticky mud that clung to your boots with every step. Sarah, after about fifteen minutes into the first day of their trip, decided she was never going to leave her home again. She hated everything about the trip, but most of all that her hair was sticking to her neck and also rising because of the moisture in the air. The only positive thing was that the bugs were nowhere to be seen.

Seth was having an easier go at getting through the thick foliage. Sarah was left to pick herself up after her. "Just lift your feet!"

"I'm trying!" Sarah wiped the sweat away from her forehead and held her torch up higher. Her boots were stuck into the wet earth for the fourth time that day, and she was exhausted. "It's hard!"

"You need to get out more!" Sarah could hear her friend's laughter in her voice. With a sigh, she unstuck her boot from the mud with a wet smack.

What seemed like a full week of walking just put into three days, came to a quiet end. The trees were thinning out to a rocky path before them. Seth kept her hand close to her sword as Sarah kept the grip on her staff tight. They had no idea what was ahead, and if what was to meet them would be friendly or not.


	12. The Jungle Fever Part II

As Sarah and Seth stepped onto the cobbled path that was through a little thicket of trees, an arrow buzzed in between them. Seth drew her sword and took a little side step in front of Sarah. Sarah held onto her staff and made sure the barrier was wrapped around them tightly. She should have known that the odds that these would be friendly people were not good. The two women eyed each other. With a small tilt of her head, Seth lead them forward. They took another cautious step, and another arrow whizzed on past.

"Halt!"

"I stop for no one." Seth held her sword up higher and she took another step forward. Sarah sighed at her friend's ferocity. There wasn't any hope in trying to befriend the assailants in front of them with her attitude.

"We can't even see them!"

"Shh! Don't give that away!" Seth whispered back. Another arrow, though this time it was reflected by Sarah's barrier. The arrow hit a tree opposite them with a twang. 

There was a sudden stillness in the trees that stopped the women in their tracks. Sarah lifted a hand to wipe away the moisture from her face when she saw it, a figure, moving at them without sound. "Seth!" she cried out.

The man was deflected, no harm done, but Sarah clutched at her blouse as her heart burst from her chest. Seth laughed, putting her hand on her hip. "Nice try."

The man stood up and brushed his trousers of dirt and grass. He was young, no older than eighteen by the looks of it. The way his clothes were patterned green and brown made him camouflage into the trees. It was no wonder they couldn't pinpoint where he was coming from. The young man eyed the women, and Sarah tried to make herself look as intimidating as the pirate captain beside her. "Who are you?"

"No one of import." Seth held her sword up, pointing it to the man's neck. Having dropped his weapon onto the jungle floor and with no time to reach for it, he raised his hands. Sarah could visibly see him shake a little when Seth gently nudged her blade into his skin. Sarah knew that the pirate wouldn't kill the boy without reason, but she still had one hand hovered over Seth's arm in case everything went south. "Now if you'll take us to your leader."

Arms still raised, the man turned and started his walk. Sarah matched Seth's steps, and whispered just loud enough for her to hear, "what are we doing? Is this how we're going to get them to like us?"

"Like us?" Seth glanced over at her troubled companion. "Captain Seth Balmore doesn't make friends with those who try and attack her."

There was finality in her voice and Sarah dropped it. If Seth was going to be the one running the show, she wasn't going to interrupt. She would not have been able to interrupt, anyway, as Seth would have just done anything she wanted. Instead, Sarah looked at her surroundings. The trees were almost nonexistent now, as were the vines, and ahead of them in the clearing was a wall. She watched as it grew and grew until they reached the gate. Seth slipped her sword back into the loop of her belt, but still pushed their guide forward.

As they stopped in front of the looming gate, two men looked over the wall, bows drawn. "What happened out there Sal? Who're these with you?"

"Just…open the gate!" the man now known as Sal yelled back to them, a hitch in his voice from the pirate's glare at his back. "I'll…um explain!"

The two men seemed to hesitate, but eventually one whistled. The ground shook as the heavy gate lifted slowly from the ground. When it was halfway lifted, more men with bows surrounded them. Seth chuckled, but held her hands up. Sarah raised her hand and staff as well.

"Weapons on the ground!"

"No." Seth shrugged. Sarah shot her a look. Her friend was going to get them in a fight she did not want to bother with.

The men seemed to be a little baffled with the outright refusal. "I said, weapons down on the ground!"

"Seth…"

"No. In fact, how about you put your bows down?"

"What did this woman say?"

"Weapons down on the ground!" Seth mocked back to them.

Sarah put forth a little more energy into their barrier, and it was good she did as three soldiers let loose their arrows. She winced as three other soldiers were hit by the reflected missiles. Luckily, no one would die from those wounds.

"Some sort of witch!"

"It's her staff!"

Seth took another step forward. The men backed away. Sarah watched as she marched right up to the one who wore the most medals on his vest. "I see you're the captain of this small brigade." She lifted a hand and gently brushed her nails across his face. Sarah watched as the man's frown deepened, but he didn't move. "I would suggest, speaking captain to captain, you take me to your leader, elder, or whoever runs this place."

The captain's face turned a violent shade of red. When he lifted a hand, no doubt to place a blow to Seth's face, Seth quickly hit the hilt of her saber to his rib cage. A resounding crack echoed into the air, leaving the man gasping on the ground. "Sal?" Seth turned to the young man, arms crossed.

"Yes, uh, ma'am?" Sarah almost laughed at his little salute he gave to Seth.

"Show us around, won't you?" Seth nudged the captain on the ground with her boot. "I think your leader's indisposed."

"Yes, ma'am!" Sal sidestepped the little group that had formed around their captain and led Seth and Sarah further into the place.

The village was constructed out of stone and wood, and it amazed Sarah that this place so deep into a jungle was able to find the resources to build it. The jungle trees were not made to house people, so she wondered if somehow they traded something for it. Dozens of rows of houses lined the streets and it was like they hadn't just walked out from a miserable jungle. It reminded Sarah of a port town, minus the boats and water. Children played outside, there was even a market, and everyone looked to be healthy enough. Sarah tried to cram it all into her head so that she could write it down later. "This place is a mystery!"

"Hey, Sal!" Seth purposefully stepped on the back of his boot, letting the young man trip a little ahead of her. "Tell us about this place!"

Sal readjusted his footwear and gave the pirate an exasperated sigh. "This is the Village of Thieves. It was founded around five decades ago by Prince Holton of Uhra."

"I've never heard of it!" Sarah quickly walked beside him. He gave her a bit of a wide berth but stopped trying when she kept getting closer to him. "How come you're not on the map? Where do you find your resources? Why don't you have a name for your village?"

"I, um—"

"No, but what about the jungle itself? Why here? How do you keep—"

"Sarah." Seth chimed in from the back.

"Right. Sorry." She gave the man her kindest smile. Sal blushed and turned his head.

"We're here anyway," he mumbled out. In front of them stood a grand building, much fancier than any other the houses and structures they've passed. "This is our Town Hall."

Seth clapped the boy on his back. He practically fell over from the strength of it. Sarah did not envy him. "Won't you introduce us?"

Sal, with a hand on his back and sigh escaping his lips, nodded. He turned grimly towards the double doors.

"Hold it!" Seth stopped him by pulling his collar. Sal gave her an exasperated look at the way he was being yanked around. "On second thought, here."

She untied a small leather pouch from her belt and poured the contents of it into Sal's hands. Both he and Sarah gasped at the gold and gems that he suddenly possessed. "I like you, Sal! For your troubles!" She ruffled his hair and thumbed the space over her shoulder. "Now get out of here."

Sal bowed low, stuffing everything into his pockets. He took off straight after.

Seth laughed. Sarah threw a hand into the air. "I don't understand you!"

"What? He was just a kid. I gave him a hard-enough time, anyway." Seth shrugged.

Sarah shook her head, adjusting her glasses on her nose. Seth continued with, "I didn't want him to get in any more trouble than he would already. He'd probably face worse if he waltzed up in there introducing us. Besides," and here Seth threw an arm around Sarah's shoulders. "We got this."

"We sure do." Sarah said with a laugh.

"Let's go save your boy, huh?"

Seth held onto Sarah's hand and they marched right into the hall. Immediately they were surrounded again, and this time Seth held up her hands. Sarah followed suit. A man in a long white robe stood up, and every other person sitting stood up with him.

"Who are you?"

"Captain Seth Balmore." Seth motioned towards Sarah. "And this is my friend, Celes."

If Sarah was confused, she didn't show it. They didn't discuss any plans once they arrived to their destination, and Sarah knew Seth could handle anything with more guts than she. So, Sarah fell along into the story Seth was creating. "We've been looking for something."

"I do not make any dealings with pirates." The elder crossed his arms underneath his long sleeves. "We may be thieves, but we are not gullible."

"I could not care less about your little business," Seth said with a flick of her hand.

Sarah observed the crowd, letting Seth take the lead. People sat in colorful clothes, distinguished in their wear. She could tell that these people were not like the happy villagers outside. No, there were scars on their bare arms and a sourness to their expression. These men and women were warriors, having earned the right to sit in this hall. _What kind of village is this?_ Sarah thought to herself.

She refocused on Seth when she mentioned Kaim's mission. "Uh, yes. He came here about half a year ago looking for someone," she filled in.

The elder frowned, the wrinkles crisscrossing harsh lines around his mouth. "You know of Kaim Argonar, the mercenary?" Sarah was caught off guard that he knew his name and position, but nodded. "You…take pride in knowing that immortal scum?"

Sarah and Seth eyed each other warily. Well, he knew about immortals, but could he tell that they too were never-ending? Seth lay a hand over her weapon at her side. "And if we do?"

"We want nothing to do with you." The elder sat back down, looking like the conversation was over. No one else sat down, instead watching what their next move would be.

The guards hesitantly took a step forward, but before they or Seth could draw their swords, Sarah took several steps towards them. "Sa—Celes!"

"He's sick!" Sarah waved her staff, sending out a small wave of wind that knocked down the guards in front of her. People moved, regrouping to get in front of their elder.

The elder held up a hand. Everyone stopped moving. Sarah stood an arm's length away from him. "The mosquitos got to him, then?" The man's face crinkled into a grin. "Too bad. I'd hope that they would have ended his unnatural life."

Sarah frowned, not taking the bait. "All I ask is that you give me the cure."

"Cure? What cure?" The elder openly laughed in her face now. There was an uneased chill that ran up Sarah's arms. "There is no such thing! Nothing can save him if he's already been bitten. He should already be dead. Seems to me he will live an unfortunate life." Here he smirked, and Sarah could feel her fists tighten. "I guess there are worse things than death."

Sarah moved her staff in front of her. She could feel the people start to close in. She wasn't foolish enough to do any harm to the elder of this village, but she felt comforted with her weapon closer to her. "What can we do to change your mind?"

"There's nothing that comes to me."

At this rate, Kaim was doomed to die and die again until the end of time. Sarah could feel her blood pressure rise. The sudden spike in her heart rate had her reconsidering not harming the people in front of her, and she was trying to fight with herself on what spell to use. Luckily, before she could open her mouth and make matters worse, Seth stepped up beside her. "How bout a duel?"

The elder seemed to take interest. He stroked his white beard with one hand. He opened his mouth to speak—

"Sir!"

The doors behind them opened, and in came the captain Seth so unceremoniously hurt from before. The elder closed his lips and waited for the guardsman to talk. "That woman! The one with the staff is a witch! They cannot be touched!"

To prove a point, he tried to slice any part of Seth. Instead his weapon backfired and clattered uselessly to the floor. Seth shrugged, muttering, "the jig is up."

"I don't deal in magic or sorcery," the older man said with a scowl.

"She can just take it off. See, watch." Seth motioned to Sarah. When Sarah didn't move, Seth gave her a wink. With a huff of breath, Sarah waved her staff in front of her. The pirate captain then faced the guard captain. "Alright. Hit me."

The opposing captain said, with a gleam in his eye, "my pleasure."

Seth held up one finger. "Not the face. Remember your ribs?"

With a little growl, the captain raised his fist and punched her square in the nose. Seth flew back onto the floor but jumped back up immediately, and with a speed that seemed inhuman, punched the already bruised ribs again. With quick readjusting crack, Seth set her nose back in place and turned to the crowd. With a bloody smile, and wet laugh, she announced, "all barriers are down! And I will not allow them to go back up."

The captain was carried away moaning, and the group in front of them looked back to the woman with hesitation. "From one pirate captain to the _Prince_ of Thieves, I promise I will not use any magic."

That caught Sarah's attention. _The_ Prince _of Thieves!_ _Could that really be?_ Sarah looked hard at the elder in front of her. Sure, he could fit the right age, and he did have a strong resemblance to the current crowned King of Uhra, but she wondered if Seth was going on just hunch alone. If this was the missing Prince of Uhra that was thought to be left for dead, it could cause a rift within the kingdom. Sarah watched the old man carefully.

The elder held his stare with Seth, not confirming or denying the name she called him. Seth did not blink back. With one tilt of his head, he agreed. "In half of an hour someone will escort you to our field."

The hall cleared except for one lonely guard. Sarah dug around in her pack for a cloth and passed it to her friend, feeling a little excitement from possibly meeting the actual Prince Holton. "That was unexpected!"

"Right? I told him not to hit me in the face. Men never learn." Seth wiped away the blood from her face and mouth but didn't bother to try and clean her chest or clothes.

"That's not what I meant," Sarah said with a laugh.

She motioned towards Seth's clothes, but she shook her head. "Makes me look badass," she informed Sarah without missing a beat.

. . .

The whole village had come to the field to watch. In the crowd she spotted Sal who was looking very skeptical. "I believe our new friend doesn't believe we'll win."

"Well, I can't wait to see his face when we do." Seth rolled her shoulders and lifted her legs back behind her to stretch. She went through a little set routine which, Sarah assumed, made sure she was loose and ready to go. This shouldn't be a hard match, but Sarah was concerned with the outcome. How could they trust anything anyone had to say in this place? Kaim was waiting for her at home, and she was anxious that she wouldn't be able to get what they came here for. Or worse, somehow, they would catch this illness and all three would be doomed to die forever. That thought twisted her stomach and sent her heart fluttering. She let the thoughts go, breathing out the last of her worry, and focused on Seth's stretching routine.

As soon as the elder made it to the field, everyone grew quiet. Before taking a seat in a chair on the stage that was built in the grass, he held up two small bottles for all to see. "If our visitors win our match today, we will be giving them two vials of our most precious medicine." There was a murmur in the crowd, but he silenced them with another hand. "And if they don't, they will be sentenced to let our friends bite them in the jungle." In the silence he turned to Sarah and Seth. "Do you accept my terms?"

Seth nodded, waving her hand. Sarah frowned, but dipped her head in agreement. The elder held up one closed fist, a signal. There came an eruption of cheers when a tough looking man dressed to kill came wading through the crowd. He held up his sword, a sign for the people to cheer even more.

Seth smiled and stepped forward.

The fight was almost too easy. Seth was fast, too fast for the mortal to keep up. The more he tried to swing his heavy sword, the more Seth was able to land blows on him. They weren't even hard blows, just enough to have him stumble until the last one knocked him out completely. Sarah was amazed at the swiftness in her blue haired companion's movement, and the way her little form packed such a powerful punch. She had always admired Seth's strength, but she was awed to see it in action. Seth had the soldier down and pinned within four minutes. Sarah watched as Sal's mouth dropped open when Seth looped her saber onto her belt. She didn't even break a sweat.

The crowd was in absolute silence when the elder got up out of his chair. As he made his way down to them, Seth turned and faced Sarah. She whispered quickly, "You got a barrier on you?" Sarah nodded. "Alright, it's too much to ask for another on me, I know, so will you get ready to send a message to Aneira?"

"But why—?"

"Just do it."

Sarah nodded grimly, carefully summoning a little ball of light in her hand, away from the sight of the elder. Surly if he saw her doing this, he'd turn straight back around and they would be at the mercy of the bugs in the jungle. "O one from the White-Winged Clan, please hear my message," she whispered.

The older man handed over the two vials without a word. Seth secured them to her leather pouch on her belt and grabbed Sarah's arm. They stared to move as quickly as they could away from the center of the field.

"I said I'd give it to you, but who said anything about you leaving!"

Sarah heard arrows notching on the bow and almost missed Seth saying, "now!"

An arrow deflected off her as she felt Seth's grip leave her own. Sarah threw the ball of light into the air and cried out, "I need to see you!"

A burst of light lit up the field. Sarah lost her footing and fell into the grass underneath her. Without any warning, Aneira took Sarah and Seth into his arms and leaped into the sky. His wings stretched out and strained to dodge the arrows flying past them. Sarah used what magic she could to put up a very large barrier surrounding the three of them in the air. She kept her eyes closed to concentrate but could hear his pleasant hum in her head.

The rush of gravity suddenly flooding her belly let her know that they were safely away from that place and moving towards the ground at a fast pace. When she felt the ships cool floor underneath her, she braved taking down the barrier and opening her eyes. She felt a little bit of vertigo hit her, but she felt good. "Thank you Aneira for the ride! We made it Seth—"

Seth lay motionless behind her. The arrow that protruded through her chest must have hit her heart. Sarah gasped and made to move towards her. Aneira beat her to it, shielding his captain from view with his large wings. He started yelling out orders, and Seth's crew began to get ready to set sail.

A minute or two of Sarah wiping away silent tears later, Aneira opened his wings. Seth was blinking up at her, and already moving to sit up. The bloodied arrow lay beside her, and Sarah should have known that she could come back to life with a speed matching Kaim's. She laughed, tears streaming down her face even more as she slammed into the pirate. "Ow! Sarah!" With her arms she tried vainly to push the crying woman off her. Sarah didn't move.

"You're alive!"

"We can't die. Sarah, stop crying on my dress!" Seth again tried to push the crying woman off her. "You'll get blood on your glasses!"

Sarah laughed again and only wrapped herself around Seth harder. Seth sighed but chuckled and patted the bespectacled woman softly. "There, there. Be a lady and dry those tears," she cooed teasingly.

. . .

Seth and Sarah looked down at the broken bottle. "I can't believe it's wasted." Seth sighed.

"We still have one. And I think that's all we need." Sarah finished charming the bottle to be unbreakable and set down her staff.

"You sure about that? If it doesn't work…"

"Holton said this." Sarah carefully tucked away the remaining vial into her pack. " _Nothing can save him if he's already been bitten_."

When Sarah didn't say anything else, Seth lifted her hands. "So…?"

"We just need to wait for Kaim to die."

. . .

Seth stared down at Kaim as he struggled with his last few breaths. Sarah readied the vial after carefully shooing away a crying Cate. "The poor girl has seen enough," she said, taking a seat next to her dying lover.

"So, we give him the vial as soon as he wakes up?"

"We have one shot." Sarah smoothed Kaim's short hair into place, giving him just a little bit of zephyr to numb the cramps a little. "No need for your last time to hurt as badly," she said close to his ear.

She didn't know if he truly heard or understood her, but he seemed to smile at her touch all the same. With one last shaky intake of breath, Kaim stilled.

Sarah sighed and let him go. It hurt to watch that happen, but she couldn't dwell on it. Kaim needed her to be at full attention. "Now we wait."

They sat quietly for twenty minutes and then got into position. Seth above him, and Sarah straddling his hips. Sarah was ready to pour the vial down into his throat, and Seth was going to make sure Kaim kept every drop of medicine in his mouth. When Kaim shifted awake, they moved. Seth pulled open his mouth and Sarah stuck the vial in. Kaim started to struggle, though so very weakly, and Seth had no trouble keeping his jaw together.

Kaim's body went limp. Sarah panicked. The worst possibilities were running through her mind, and she became angry at herself for not thinking this through more thoroughly. "They could have given us poison! Why didn't I think of that!"

She felt for his pulse and didn't find any. Hands on his face, she started pumping her healing spells into him. _Wake up!_ she thought, pressing her fingers into his sullen cheeks. _Wake up!_

Just as she was thinking about doubling her efforts, Seth grabbed onto her wrist. "Stop!"

"I can't!"

"It's too much! Let go!"

"I will not!" Sarah screamed, tears falling down her cheeks. Seth yanked her hands off Kaim's face, and Sarah almost shoved her away until Seth pointedly looked down.

"He can't breathe, woman!"

With a little gasp, Sarah looked down. Kaim's chest was moving, and he was taking very short gasping breaths. She climbed off his lap and grabbed Seth's fingers. The connection felt reassuring as she watched his breathing even out. Soon enough, he was back to sleeping restfully.

"I'm hungry. Got anything here?"

Sarah turned to her pirate friend trying to find the words to apologize. Seth just rolled her eyes. "I'm assuming the kitchen is that way?" With a gentle squeeze of Sarah's hand, Seth let her fingers release and walked out of the room.

Sarah sat on the edge of the bed and gently touched Kaim's face. His color was returning, and there wasn't a wheeze in his breathing. With a gentle intake of breath and slow exhale, she rested her head against his bony shoulder. "Come back to me, please."

. . .

Kaim woke up with a splitting headache. He felt stiff, unwashed, and terribly thirsty. After a moment he realized that his stomach was cramping, though not from nausea like the past six months, but for the lack of food. Kaim slowly blinked his eyes and looked at the empty room before him. He was surprised to see Seth curled up on the chair in the corner. "Hey," he croaked, not realizing just how bad his voice had gotten. He tried to clear his throat, but nothing really came out. "Hey," he tried again a little louder.

"You don't have to yell." Seth peeked open one eye, a little grin coming to her face. "Hey yourself."

"Sa…Sarah?" Kaim moved his eyes slowly around the room.

"I was supposed to keep watch while she took a nap on the couch, but you know how boring it is watching people sleep? Because it's boring, Kaim. I've already died once this week and I swear I was about to again."

He gave her a questioning look. She waved her hand at him and sat up with a stretch in her chair. "I mean you've died a few times in the four days we've been waiting, so I guess it shouldn't matter how many times I die. I digress. I'm going back to my ship. Write to me when you can."

He gave a little nod, choking out a thank you, but she was already out the door. Moments later, Sarah burst into the room. Her glasses were crooked and her hair a mess on her head, but Kaim had never seen anything as spectacular and beautiful as the woman in front of him. She took a few deep breaths in and out before bursting into tears. Kaim laughed, stomach and chest aching from the sudden force of it. He watched as she sniffed and gasped and wiped her face with her sleeves.

"It's not…you can't even laugh correctly…It's not funny!" she cried out, but he could hear the humor in her tone. She came over to him and scooted into the space beside him. She buried her face into his chest, and he leaned his head over. "I was so afraid."

"I'm here," he whispered, rubbing his chin into the crown of her head.

Sarah leaned over and held a hand to his face. She traced her fingers over his skin and Kaim realized for the first time how terrible he must look. She rested a hand on his forehead and felt relief from the headache plaguing him. When she disconnected the healing magic, he whispered, "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize." With a watery smile she moved out of bed. "Let's get some food in you."

.

It was a week before he could move out of bed, and another three before he could brave the edges of the last of winter for a walk. Sarah wrapped another scarf around Kaim and made sure he was wearing his thickest gloves. He had lost a little warmth when he finally shaved the beard from his face and appreciated the scarves, but knew it was too much. "I look ridiculous," he commented.

"I didn't have a chance to charm any of your clothing to keep you warm. You're gaining your weight back, but you're still a little weak, Kaim." Sarah placed his hat on his head and gave him a little pat on his shoulder. "You were pretty much starved, dear."

"I know." Kaim moved to adjust his scarves, concealing his smile. He admired the way Sarah cared about him but didn't want to give her any satisfaction in knowing it. "Let's walk."

She held onto his hand as they walked out into the snow. The mountain was starting to warm back up, a lot of the snow a melted mess around them. Sarah watched him and took careful, smaller steps with Kaim at her side. Kaim wanted to act like there wasn't anything wrong with him, but he knew his body's limits. In no time he'd be back to normal, but for now he valued her steady pace. As they made their way across the village he let her see the smile that was growing shyly on his face. It did him good to be outside, and he was really enjoying his time. They watched some of the village children race around, slipping and sliding in the snow. "All of this will be melted in another week," Sarah said, watching as a little girl threw a sloppy snowball across to her friend.

Kaim hummed in response. "It'll be a welcome change."

"I'll miss it a little," Sarah said with a sigh. "But with the old comes in the new, and you'll finally be able to travel again when it's warmer."

"I am…I'm going to rest," Kaim admitted. "I think I've deserved it."

Sarah agreed. "You deserve to stay at home for at least seven months."

"Yeah?"

"Yep."

Kaim suddenly leaned down, placing a kiss on her lips. Sarah squeaked, but his lips were gone as quickly as they came. She tilted her head, eyes searching his.

"Thank you." He stopped walking as they were at the edge of the village and there was no place else to go. This was hard for him to say out loud, but he wanted to make this vocal. She needed to hear his gratitude. "You and Seth, you put yourselves in danger for me."

"Well. I mean we couldn't just leave you like you were." Sarah tried to hide her reddened cheeks in her winter coat. Kaim usually never got affectionate at all outside of their home, so he could see how she'd become bashful. "I couldn't even fathom it."

Kaim looked down. His cheeks were burning a little too and he had the smallest of smiles. "But you risked it all to get that medicine, and I know the elder didn't like me any with what I did, and you could have contracted the disease, and…well. Thank you."

"And I know you'd do the same for me." Sarah pulled him around, and they started their slow walk back. "Kaim, I love you too much to see you like that—"

Kaim interrupted her with another kiss, this one fiercer than the last. Sarah wrapped arms around his neck, being careful not to tug him too hard against her. He loved the way she was so cautious with any living thing in pain, and that only provoked the kiss to deepen. When they let go for air, it was his turn to move her along. Kaim felt perkier than he had in a while, and by the blush and little skip in her step, Sarah did too.


	13. Journey to the Hot Spring

As a note, this story is in connection to the third chapter of To Die, another Lost Odyssey story of mine. It's not exactly necessary to understand what's going on, but it may help clear up some things!

* * *

Sarah watched as Kaim rubbed his neck. It had been a long day for them both, and it was nice to finally be back in Tosca. She had to admit, though, that she was feeling worn and frazzled, too. The long hike up the mountain, on top of the pirate attack that morning, left her drained and weak, and she could only imagine Kaim felt so much worse. She let out a slow sigh and Kaim turned his head. "Tired?"

"Very." Sarah walked over to him and gently laid a hand on his back. She contemplated whether she should use her zephyr on him but wasn't sure if that was overstepping her boundaries. She was still very new to this closeness, in being in a relationship, and she didn't know if Kaim wanted the touch of her fingers on his body, or in what way he wanted her to be around him at all. _Not like we didn't just kiss down in the mountain, though_ , she thought to herself. She felt a blush rise to her face as she brought her fingers to her lips. Without realizing it she was just standing there, rubbing her hand in a repetitive circular motion on his back. It wasn't until Kaim laughed that she snapped out of it. She wasn't thinking about doing anything at all, and then she noticed that she wasn't even using any white magic to help him on top of it. "W-what?" she stammered.

"You're so red."

Sarah huffed and moved her hand away. She turned her head so Kaim couldn't see the growing redder blush on her face, and almost jumped when she felt his warm hand lay on her back. He returned the circle touch, and Sarah relaxed. She had no qualms about his touch, and she was sure Kaim took notice. "I don't know why that's so relaxing," he murmured, adding another hand, and using his thumbs to push into the tense flesh of back.

Kaim dug all his fingers in a little, and Sarah could have fallen to her knees. "Please tell me my new _boyfriend_ is a masseuse."

"I'm sorry to disappoint, _darling_ ," Kaim replied with a laugh. He trailed his hands down her spine, but Sarah thought it didn't matter. It still felt good. "This is about all I know how to do."

Sarah sighed, and rested her hand on his, stilling his movements. "We're all busted up."

"Still a little shaky?"

"Those pirates were a little concerning, yes, but we made it out." Sarah closed her eyes. "And with only a few marks to my boat."

Kaim led her to her little loveseat in her living room. The place was cleaner than usual, and she thanked her three-month past self for remembering to tidy up. She rested her head on his shoulder, taking off her glasses to make herself comfortable. With a caress of lips to her forehead, he joined his head on hers in return.

They woke up seven hours later. It was three in the morning when Sarah peeked open an eye. Somehow, she had fallen into Kaim's lap and he had leaned over the armrest to set his head on a hand. She quickly sat up, feeling even worse than she did when she had fallen asleep. Her back protested, and she laid a hand on it. "Oh, Kaim."

He snored in reply. She couldn't hide the grin. She decided to watch him for a moment. His mouth was slightly opened, with hair strewn across his face. One strand of it caught in the corner of his mouth and moved with his breathing, but she noticed that he looked so very calm. He looked even younger in sleep, and so much less weary. It was almost as if he didn't live through seven hundred years of wars and battles.

Of course, he had other moments, better moments, in his long life. Sarah wondered if this was how he might have looked when he wasn't looking into an enemy's eyes as they fought to death. She reached out and carefully pulled his hair behind his ear. He stirred, but ultimately didn't open his eyes. She smiled again when another light snore exited him and let out a giggle when he woke himself up because of it. "Time?"

"Three-ten." Sarah said with a frown. She stood up, feeling muscles burn and her back crack. She groaned and stretched. "We fell asleep."

Kaim rubbed his neck again, and Sarah thought of something. She hit her fist into her hand, saying, "I know!"

"Hmm?"

"Do you remember where the road forked before we got here?" Kaim answered her with a slow nod. "Well, there's a hot spring down that way!" She turned to face him fully. "With that and my zephyr we should be feeling as good as new!"

"Is it a long distance away?"

"A little? Probably a five hour walk from the fork in the road." Sarah lifted a finger to her chin. "And we'll have to be careful. When I take anyone to these springs, we have to go in a large group because there are some monsters out there. Nothing too tough, but still a bit of an inconvenience."

Kaim slowly stood up, and she could see him hold his stomach. The bullet wounds had healed, but she could still imagine they would be sore even after rebirth. She moved to put a hand on him, but he shook his head. "Let's go to this place. You're tired enough as it is."

"I think we still have a few apples and some bread from our journey. We can eat a light breakfast when we get down there!" Sarah smiled at her little plan. It was almost like they were planning their first date. She turned away from him, so he couldn't see her suddenly giddy smile. She didn't need any more teasing from him this early morning.

By three-thirty, they were packed and ready to go. Sarah closed the door after her, and they started their walk down the mountain of Tosca. It didn't seem like long ago they were just walking up, and Sarah reminded herself that it had only been hours. If only she had thought of this before they made their trip all the way to the top.

Kaim intertwined their hands, and she thought she couldn't get much happier. As they reached the edge of the Mountain Village, Sarah lifted her staff and conjured up a small ball of light. She pushed it a little ahead, and it shined just enough that they could see a few feet in front of them.

Going down the mountain was less exhausting than going up to Tosca, so Sarah felt calm and excited about their trip. Kaim, on the other hand, was a little warier. She could tell because he was asking her different questions. His third question: "What kinds of monsters could we run into?"

"Medium sized frog looking things. Oh, they're so slimy! I hate them, but they're fairly weak. So much so that they probably will be more spooked of us. Um, I've seen some bats before, the demon kinds from the Black Cave. I believe they won't be out by the time we get to the fork because it'll be almost daybreak."

Sarah thought, but couldn't come up with any more. "I've never seen anything big, and most of them I can scare away with a little blast of light or loud noise. Lots of different wildlife, though. We might see some deer or other wild things."

With a nod, he continued, "what kind of terrain are we looking at?"

"What kind of question is that?" Sarah laughed into the still darkness of the morning.

"I just want to make sure we'll be okay."

"We'll be fine, Mr. Mercenary," she teased.

They reached the fork in the road and she pulled him along. The early morning light was just cresting the mountainside, but Sarah kept the little ball of light floating in front of them. She looked up at Kaim, who seemed to relax a little bit after her reassurance. He walked with the smallest hint of a smile and squeezed her hand when he noticed her staring. She flushed a little and turned away. They walked on in silence until the sun shown itself through the trees. Sarah let go of Kaim so that she could finally press the ball of light into her palm, where it disappeared into nothingness. "A nice little trick you've got there."

"One of the first things I was able to conjure up in this world." Sarah entangled her hand with Kaim's again. "After the five of us separated when we woke up, it was the first thing I did. I couldn't see, and everything was blurry. It took a few months for me to realize that my eyesight was actually pretty terrible, but that's beside the point." Sarah adjusted her glasses and she could hear Kaim's soft chuckle when she did it. She cleared her throat and continued. "Now black magic is not my forte, but white magic is, and it just so happens that creating a little ball of light falls into that category. It does no one any harm; and though it hardly could be used in battle, it allows me to see in the dark when I need to. I was able to do it within moments after waking up, but I couldn't tell you back then why I could. The whole concept of magic in this world was new to me!"

"That's how I felt when I picked up a sword for the first time." Kaim looked off in the distance as he talked. "Like muscle memory. I knew exactly what to do, even though there was no recollection of it."

"Did you join into a war right away?"

Kaim nodded. "I remember the first fight I ever lent myself towards. It ended in failure," he said, laughing a little bitterly. "But that's when I realized I couldn't die."

Sarah wanted to ask for more of the story but didn't know if she should intrude into his past. So, she stayed quiet and hopeful and was rewarded when Kaim continued anyway. "It was a victory for Uhra, a loss for a neighboring country. I remember a soldier surprising me. Cut me open from gut to shoulder and I died not so swiftly after."

"I'm sorry."

Kaim shook his head. "Nothing to apologize over. I remembering my last thought was there wasn't any way I was made to wake up in this world without any idea of what I was supposed to do, only to die weeks later. Everything went black, and then some hours later, I woke up."

"Did you go straight into your next battle?"

"Well, I had to dig myself out of the ground first."

"No way!" Sarah gasped, stopping. Kaim looked back, eyebrow raised. "They buried you?" she asked.

"I did look to be dead."

"But!" Sarah couldn't argue that. The first time she died it took many hours for her to wake up again. If it had been anyone else but Kaim who found her, she could imagine they would be digging a hole too. "I mean…"

"They didn't want decomposing bodies to attract monsters, so the Uhran army dug up graves and laid us to rest." Kaim almost seemed to smile. Like this was a good, funny memory to go back on. "I scared the guard who was digging the next hole a few places from mine."

Sarah found her footing again and shook her head as she started walking. "I just can't believe."

"I didn't come back to life as quickly back then."

"What did you think? Of all of it?" Sarah started again when Kaim gave her a tilt of his head, not understanding. "I mean, coming back to life? No matter how you died?"

"At first it was a blessing. I felt unstoppable." Kaim frowned. "And after about fifty years I grew tired of charging in headfirst. It was becoming bothersome to wake up after dying in different places, under and above the earth. For a while I didn't want anything to do with fighting."

"Why didn't you stop?" Sarah asked, looking at the ground.

"I did. But it never lasted long. I would find something to occupy my time for a little bit, but then I'd get an itch, like something I couldn't scratch unless I was in a battle. Some starving nation needed help with a skirmish, some King who needed to get rid of bad men. There was always some job and there was always someone who knew my skill. I was always suggested to whomever was hiring mercenary work." Kaim sighed. "And you can't ignore mortals and royalty forever. They start to hunt you down."

There was a silence that came between them. Sarah wouldn't call it awkward, but it was tinged in sadness. Of strife and restlessness. Sarah was at a loss for words for once, not knowing how to comfort the man beside her, or even knowing if he needed it. Kaim sighed. "I'm sorry," he said.

"There's nothing to apologize for," she said in return. She then asked, "is it lonely work?"

"Sometimes." Kaim kicked a rock as they walked down the path. "I had some friends in the armies I joined, even a few who I traveled with until they couldn't anymore, but unfortunately, we are gifted with a longevity that outlasts companionship."

There was a bitterness in that last statement, and Sarah could feel it sink into her to stay. She didn't want him feeling like that. She brought his hand up to her mouth and left a little kiss. Kaim turned towards her. "I won't outlast our relationship. I promise for as long as we both shall live that I'll stay by your side." She gave him her best smile.

Kaim quickly looked away a little embarrassed, though there was a little strangled noise that came from his throat that gave him away. Sarah watched in delight as he scratched his head a little, looking lost for words. _And is he blushing? Oh, my, goodness! I did it_! she thought to herself. She giggled a little, basking in the thought that she finally managed to get him uncomfortable after all these years of him doing the same to her.

After a moment—too quick to end her boasting on the inside—he composed himself, and Sarah watched as he side-eyed her with a grin on his face. "Sounds like you're saying vows."

"Ah!" Sarah made a big deal of letting go of his hand and set both of hers under her glasses, and over her eyes. She walked a little ahead of him. The feeling of triumph turned into mortification, and his barking laugh behind her did not help. When she finally uncovered her eyes, she turned and crossed his arms. Kaim caught up, and she just sighed. She continued to walk, refusing to uncross her arms and let him hold her hand.

"I know you can't stay mad."

"I can if I want to!" Sarah smiled, but wiped it off her face to turn back to him. "I can't believe you, Kaim Argonar. Fourteen hours into our courtship, and you're saying such…such…"

"Peculiar?" he supplied.

"Things!" she finished.

Kaim laughed again, and Sarah held her face forward. When she felt her heart and heated cheeks return to normal, she allowed Kaim to wrap his hand around her shoulder. She leaned in close and was happy to note that Kaim was a pretty affectionate person, and, possibly, a little touch-starved.

An hour later they ran into their first frog. They had just begun their walk through a narrow passage with trees all around them. The frog leapt out from a tall bush, and Sarah shrieked in fright. It was as if the frog didn't even notice them as it hopped on past. She held a hand to her chest. They looked around the area but didn't see any more out in the open. "I hate how slimy they are."

"I can hear it," he admitted, playfully rubbing an ear.

"Oh, ha-ha." Sarah eyed around one last time before braving another step.

An hour later they started their deep decent into the mountain. The path was even more narrow, barely able to fit two people walking side by side. The edge of the path dropped off several feet, ending in mud and smaller boulders. This area was prone to get slippery in the rain, and they had to be careful as the edge of the path could break easier because of it. Sarah thought they should be okay, though, as the rainy season had stopped a few weeks before.

They were getting nearer, just only a little more than halfway to the hot springs, when they ran into three frogs. Kaim chased them away, and like she had said earlier, they were more scared of them than they feared the little things. Sarah still hated them and was relieved to have Kaim at her side. "They're out a little more than I expected," she said to him as they continued their walk down.

"Do they not usually come out as much?"

Sarah twisted her mouth thinking of any reason. "Despite my hatred of them, I did study these monsters for a little bit. It could be their mating season."

"That's just our luck," Kaim replied with a sigh.

And as if on cue, they stared to hear more and more chirps and ribbits coming from all around them. Sarah blanched. "Of course."

They were pretty much harmless, so they didn't worry much about it.

Until they discovered that they didn't have to be so little.

Sarah held her staff tightly in her fist. She had never seen such a towering thing, and when it moved, its legs hit the earth with a reverberating sound. It was a deep purple color, with golden eyes that twitched constantly in every direction. Its skin shown in the sun, allowing them to see just how much slime it produced; running off into the ground underneath it. Kaim pulled out his sword looking like he could enjoy a little exercise. Sarah glanced at him, before her eyes locked onto the creepy frog.

Suddenly she felt like she couldn't move. She was fixated on one of its yellow-slotted eyes and found that she couldn't even blink without having to think hard about it. There was a sudden heavy feeling, like the air was getting hot and falling on her shoulders in thick waves. The energy coming from the frog was surprising enough that she had dropped her staff and it lay forgotten at her feet. She took in little short gasps. What was going on? Why did she feel all locked up?

There were some muffled noises, and a shout that sounded too far away, and then Kaim was pushing her behind him. Not realizing until it was too late that he had pushed her to try to get her behind him, Sarah started moving sideways, too fast, towards the edge of the path. It wasn't until she looked over to her left before she realized that her stumbling was leading her downwards, and she tried to move her feet in the opposite direction.

Instead, her ankle twisted, and she fell headfirst off the ledge.

. . .

Kaim saw the monster as a game. A game he was going to win and, fortunately for him, it was going to lose. He could see it working, thinking, maybe trying to cast something, but he wasn't going to fall for it. It was too slow to figure him out anyway. He slid his sword out of his belt and readied himself for an attack.

Before he could make the first move, he noticed that the frog wasn't facing him. A little confused he followed its eye and noticed that Sarah was entranced beside him. So it was aiming a spell, just not at him. "Sarah, snap out of it!"

Sarah did not even acknowledge him. She stood staring at the beast, eyes wide, pupils dilating. "Sarah!" he yelled again, and when she didn't move as the frog leaned forward towards her, he did the first thing that came to mind. He used his right hand to pull and push her behind him, and the left hand, with his weapon in it, to strike the frog; but he realized too late that he used a little too much force with her, forgetting that the road they walked on was narrow. As he quickly stabbed at the thing, he watched as Sarah stumbled right off the edge of the path.

"Sarah!" he screamed, pulling his sword out of the large beast in front of him. He launched himself off the path beside him, landed, and turned to her. She hit her head on the short fall and that seemed to finally be pulling her back to her senses. She was blinking and taking short breaths in. Kaim set his sword down, and carefully moved her head towards him. "Can you hear me?"

"Yes?" Sarah blinked up at him, still looking to clear her senses. "What happened?"

"I…" Kaim felt a sudden wave of guilt overcome him. _He_ pushed her off the ledge. He's the one who did it. How could he do that to her? Could she forgive him? "I—"

Sarah hissed in pain. She sat up and held her left boot. Kaim carefully moved her shaking fingers and started to untie it. He held her leg up by her calf and carefully slid the boot off her foot. "Oh. Ow!"

Kaim opened his mouth to apologize but stopped when he saw her ankle. It was already swollen, probably sprained. He looked helplessly up at Sarah. She took in a deep breath and said. "Put it down, and can you grab my staff? I dropped it somewhere up there." She added, with a tilt of her head, "I think.

Kaim, as gently as he could, set her leg onto the ground. Sarah hissed again, and he couldn't find it in him to look at her. He felt sick to his stomach, and kept replaying the scene in his head. With a lump in his throat, he climbed the slope to retrieve her staff. The frog lay several feet away, dead, and he cursed at it.

After jumping down again, he handed Sarah her staff. "Hold my ankle out. It hurts to much for me to move. A little magic should at least make the swelling go down and set it straight."

She closed her eyes and waved her staff in a little circle above her ankle. After a minute her brow furrowed. She waved it again and let out a breath. "So that's what happened."

"What's wrong?"

"Seems that frog sealed up my magic." Sarah let her arm fall and looked up at him. She chewed on her lip. "I don't…I can't walk."

Kaim set out to find a few sturdy branches, as Sarah strapped her staff to her pack. When he found what he needed, he made his way back to where Sarah sat. She was sitting with her pack on, and wincing as she tried in vain to move her foot in an upright position. Kaim kneeled beside her and carefully untied the laces of her unused boot. "Here hold these on each side," he said, handing her the heavy sticks. "I'm going to tie it tight so that your ankle won't move." Kaim did as he told her, listening as she made sharp intakes of breath. It reminded him that this was his fault, and the waves of guilt were crashing into him again. When he finished tying and making sure the splint wasn't going to move, he helped her to her wobbly feet and bent his knees. "Lean down and wrap your arms around my neck."

Sarah leaned over him and he held onto her legs a little above the knees. When he straightened out, he supported her bottom with his wrists and hands. "Sorry."

"It's, um, okay."

"Comfortable?"

"Better, yes."

Kaim looked up. With Sarah holding onto him tightly, he was able to climb up the short wall of rocks and dirt and looked at either direction. They were two hours from the fork in the road and just about the same distance to the hot springs. While it would be nice to rest at the hot springs, he didn't know if Sarah even wanted to go anymore. But when he turned towards the direction of Tosca, Sarah interjected, "let's keep going."

"Are you sure?"

Sarah nodded. "That magic should wear off in time and I'll be able to heal myself then. I want to show you the hot springs! We've come too far."

Kaim gave a quick nod, adjusted his passenger on his back, and sidestepped the decaying beast to walk down the path. As he carefully made his way, he could feel and hear Sarah slip into sleep. The magic seal that was on her must be making her tired, and it was just as well. Kaim didn't think he could bear her telling him how this was his fault.

The walk was quiet, save Sarah's soft snores in Kaim's ears, but his thoughts were not. He couldn't think straight through his shame. Sarah's words echoed back to him. Fourteen hours. It was all it took for him to mess things up. He had pushed her, his dear Sarah, down a hill. She had hit her head and sprained—if not worse! —her ankle because of it. Never in his life had he ever hurt any one of his partners, and then there was Sarah. Sarah would always be in his life, and their first good memory together was tainted by his stupidity, his recklessness, his—

"What's on your mind, Kaim?" Sarah suddenly asked with a little slur in her words. The breath on his ear made him momentarily forget his troubles, but he took his time trying to find the words to answer her. "Come on," she prodded.

"I'm just thinking," he finally started. He adjusted Sarah on his back again, as he carefully began another descent downwards on the path. "On how I ruined our first date," he finished with a sigh.

There was a little gasp. He felt Sarah's finger curl around his chin and forcibly move his face towards her. "You think this is a first date?" Kaim nodded hesitantly. Maybe he was looking at this wrong. Maybe they weren't even really dating. Maybe after all of this she didn't even consider them a couple anymore.

 _That can't be true_ , he thought.

He frowned as he slowly came to terms with his revelation, but then came Sarah's excited voice. "I do too!"

"What?"

"This is a first date!" She leaned her cheek on his, and he could feel her eyelashes fluttering against him. "I was worried you didn't see it that way, or you'd make fun of me."

"I wouldn't."

"So says the man who teased me earlier today," Sarah reminded him. She laughed a little. Kaim couldn't find the humor to respond. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"It's not a very good first date."

"What do you mean?"

"Sarah." Kaim paused and shifted her up against his back. She held on a little tighter as he flexed and shook one arm at a time to circulate the blood again. "This is the worst first date I've been on."

"Oh?" Kaim turned his head to look at her. She looked very dejected, a frown on her lips and she wouldn't look at him. He blinked for a few moments. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Sorry?"

"I did kind of ruin things didn't I?"

Kaim walked over to a high flat stone and gently set Sarah upon it so he could look at her face to face. She was turning hers away. "Hey." She didn't move. Kaim bent down and looked around to her face. She bit her lip. "It's not you. It's me."

"Don't use that cliché line!" But it worked. She was smiling. He smiled back.

"It's true. I was the one that pushed you." Kaim's smile drifted off his face. "I should be the one apologizing."

"You don't need to do that." Sarah kicked her good heel against the rock she sat on. "If I was paying more attention…if I hadn't gotten in the way."

"You weren't in the way!"

"Yes, I was! Gods if only I wasn't so weak—"

"You're not weak."

Sarah started to laugh. After a few moments she was holding her stomach and wiping at the tears were coming down her face, though Kaim couldn't tell if the wet drops were because she was laughing or if they were tears being held back from earlier. "This can go back and forth all day long!" She wiped her cheeks more. "It's my fault, no it's mine. But really it's mine, truly its mine!" She sniffed a few times, and let some tears fall unbidden. Kaim took a thumb to clear them away. "I'm so tired. I shouldn't be laughing this hard, but that damned seal…"

"Agree to disagree?" Kaim asked, bringing her back.

Sarah shook her head. "Let's just say it was the frog's fault. He was the one that trapped me in a spell."

"He is the reason why I had to push you."

Sarah nodded. "There. All settled?"

Kaim nodded, a smile coming back to his face. "As long as you don't hate me for it."

"I could never hate you." She was so serious that he was taken aback a little. Blushing a little, he turned around the helped her onto his back again, happy to note that she didn't notice the pink on his cheeks. She snuggled into his neck, sighing, "you're so comfortable."

"You'd think that would be untrue." Kaim started his walk down again.

"You'd think," she parroted back to him. "Too bad we're almost there."

Just another two miles and they came upon the spring in a clearing of trees. It was bigger than Kaim thought, and it lay just before the mouth of a cave that was nestled into the mountain. He and Sarah looked over the steam and around the area. They were alone, not a monster in sight. Sarah patted his shoulder, and he found another tall rock she could sit on. She unstrapped her staff from her back and tried to use magic again. Kaim watched her as he took off his sword and leaned it against the rock she sat on. She wasn't even able to produce a small ball of light. "No use."

"Nothing a little soothing soak can't fix." Kaim was already pulling his boots off. He set them next to the rock and then worked on his shirt.

He noticed Sarah stare at his abdomen, and he looked down at the bullet scars left from their fight yesterday morning. She lifted a hand, and with hesitant fingers, traced one of the scars. Her touch to his skin was a little electrifying and he took a small step back. He hoped she didn't hear how his heart was hammering in his chest.

"I'm sorry!" She pulled her hands into her lap, as if she didn't want to touch him again.

"No, it's nothing," Kaim tried to reassure her. He needed to take that step back. _Get yourself together, Argonar_ , he chided himself. It was like he was dealing with a crush.

Instead he focused on his shirt that he gripped in his hands. With a deep breath in, he folded it and set it next to his boots. He then shifted his hands to his belt before he heard a little squeak behind him. When he didn't pause in his movements, Sarah made a squawk. "Kaim!"

"What?" He turned to her, belt half off. She was shielding her eyes, but he could see her pink cheeks. A smile grew on his lips when he figured that she didn't have men undressing so casually in front of her most of her life. "What are you embarrassed about?"

"I mean we've known each other for three hundred years, but…" She took a chance to peek at him, and only turned to him fully when she saw that he hadn't taken his pants off yet. "Still," she ended lamely.

He chuckled, and she pouted. "Okay, well I'll keep my underthings on. You too."

"Me?" she sputtered. "I mean, can't I just leave my clothes on—?"

"If I must carry you home," Kaim interrupted. "In case you can't heal your leg, you're not going to be soaking wet and dragging me down with your water-heavy clothes."

Her mouth opened and closed and Kaim thought she'd make an impressively cute fish, before she jerked her head up and down. So, she brought shaky fingers up to her blouse, and Kaim turned back around to pull off his pants. The pants were folded, and he stood waiting until she ahem'd before he turned back around. She had taken off her blouse, leaving on her brassiere, and needed help with her own traveling trousers. He helped her off the rock, and with reddened cheeks, she carefully kicked off her pants.

Kaim noticed that she was trying to cover herself, and he looked up at her face, eyes not darting down. "I won't look if you don't want me to," he promised.

"Thank you," came her quiet reply.

With his clothes nice and neatly folded next to his boots, and Sarah's strewn on and around the rock, he helped her through the soft grass. It was only three steps to walk to the water, so she just leaned on him for support. He saw her trying her hardest not to look at him in just his undershorts. He didn't mind any way. After so many years of living with dirty militia men, he was not body shy.

He stepped into the spring. There was no gradual entry into the water, so it was quite the jump down; the warm water coming up to his chest. Without turning around to look up at her, Kaim motioned for Sarah to come in; letting her use any part of him to comfortably lower herself to the water. She used his shoulders to gently sit onto the ground, and slide into the water. The warm water did wonders for the two of them, and soon they found a spot on the edge of the pool where a rock jutted out to sit. Sarah leaned her head back onto the grass and didn't move. Kaim found himself doing the same.

After around ten minutes, he could feel Sarah stirring beside him. He opened his eyes to see her trying to lift her leg under the water. After a few more struggles and winces, she turned pitiful eyes over to Kaim. He smiled and reached over to lift her leg. "Even though I don't have my staff on me, I can feel healing properties in this water. If I can just focus I should be able to heal myself," she explained, resting her hands on either side of her leg. Kaim watched as she closed her eyes and scrunched up her face.

There was a moment where nothing happened. The only sounds were the birds taking flight in through the trees. And then Kaim started to feel the spring get even warmer. It was almost uncomfortable, and he was going to ask Sarah if everything was okay, but then suddenly she was moving her toes. She opened her eyes and laughed as the wiggling turned into her turning her foot left and right. "Much better!" she exclaimed and started pulling at the ties that kept her splint together. She threw them over to the rock they undressed at.

Sarah was able to move around the spring on her own, now, and Kaim liked watching her swim from one end to the other. At one point, she took off her glasses and dunked her head underneath the warm water. When she resurfaced he was there to push her hair away from her face.

"It's so messy when it gets wet!" She was red in the face and Kaim couldn't tell if she was embarrassed about their clothing situation, the heat of the water, or if it was from his gentle touch. Kaim bent over and caught her in a kiss. When they broke apart, she held a hand to her lips and couldn't quite look him in the eye. "I feel as if I will never get used to this."

"Get used to what?" Kaim asked, eyebrow shooting up. Sarah sent him a look of feigned annoyance. "Bathing with your boyfriend of twenty-four hours?" he finished, teasingly. This time the look wasn't feigned, and he could hear her audible gasp.

She took one step away from him, and then moved her arms to splash at him. Kaim returned the wave, and they spent the next few minutes playing in the water, until Kaim had her backed up against the bank. With a breathless laugh, she kissed the corner of his mouth. He raised hands to her face and locked her in another, deeper, kiss; only stopping when they both needed to breathe, reconnecting straight after.

* * *

Next week I start teaching again, so who knows when I'll update. I'm a very sporadic updater, so I'll see you when I see you! Thank you for reading! (Who knows. I might sneak in another chapter before the 20th!)


	14. The Grand State of Numara

Sarah was brave, she knew that, but her hand still shook when she was handing that letter over to the delivery man. The mail trip to Numara would take a month and a half, and she probably wouldn't hear a reply from the sender for another four on top of it. Five months might seem like a long time to answer anyone, but it wasn't like the Queen of Numara had all the time in her realm to reply to silly little letters anyway.

"I could have delivered it faster."

"I don't want you away that long," Sarah said, grabbing Kaim's hand. She was leading them back to her little house in Tosca. She felt like she hadn't seen him in a while. Thinking back on it, it had been a few months since he popped back in to the Mountain Village, only to rush back out again. "I would like you to myself, actually," she admitted with a little blush.

She was given a kiss to her hand and a caress of his thumb. It had been too long since he had done that, too. She found herself sighing. "And I've missed you," she finished.

As they stepped into Sarah's little house, she found that it was getting harder to maneuver around in her small space. She crossed her arms looking at the mess before her. It was a wonder she could find anything that she might be looking for in this house. Add in another body, with little bits and pieces of his traveling gear and items along with him, and it was getting a little cramped. Yes, in Kaim's four-month absence, she managed to destroy her living space again. There were books scattered across her table, onto her sitting couch, on her kitchen counters, and in piles on the floor. Every surface was covered in paper, and it was just a little embarrassing. "Sorry."

Kaim shrugged. "Somehow, I've seen worse. Besides," he said, giving her a small smile. "It's your house. I can't say anything."

"Well. I suppose you can't, but you'll be here too." Sarah felt her cheeks burn a little, turning away from his face. Having a boyfriend still felt entirely new to her, despite this being their almost tenth year together. Even though they'd known each other for centuries, she still wondered if he was used to her peculiar and messy lifestyle; and found it a little disconcerting when things got out of hand. Like she was being scrutinized for her book hoarding. Sarah sighed. She probably was, but Kaim was too kind to her to say otherwise. "And if you're going to be living here, I can't let it get to this."

"Living here?"

Sarah gasped and turned. She held her hands in the air, head moving back and forth trying to find the words that should come out of her mouth. "I mean, Kaim. I don't want to assume, but you don't _have_ a home. I mean! You've never told me if you have somewhere to go? Do you? I'm sorry—I _assumed_ , and I know I shouldn't do that—It's just never been brought up!"

"Hey. Don't worry." Kaim smiled gently. He caught one of her hands in his own. It did much to calm her down. "I'm the one who's intruding here."

"Well, do you have a place to go?" Sarah couldn't quite look him in the eyes, though did see him tilt his head a little. She continued, "I…If you don't. I…well, if you need a place to call home. You're…very welcome here."

She felt Kaim's hand brush her jaw, so she peered above her glasses. He had a goofy grin on his face, and eyes that seemed to be searching hers. "Do you really mean it?"

"Don't be silly!" Sarah looked away for a moment and fanned her face. She was wondering if she could get any warmer. "Of course, I mean it! It's been more than a century and a half that you've been visiting me, and we've been together for almost a decade! Over the years you've been leaving things here, and it's starting to feel like _our_ space instead of just mine, and I wouldn't want it any other way!" She faced him again, feeling less and less control over her tongue and words. "You should move in!" she blurted out hurriedly. _Elegantly said_ , _Sarah Sisulart_ , she snarked to herself. She lowered her head in shame.

"Than if you'll have me." Kaim pulled her into a sweet and slow kiss, and Sarah just knew she _could_ get warmer. When they broke away, he rested his forehead on hers, whispering, "I'll stay."

. . .

What Sarah wasn't expecting was a handwritten note from the Queen herself, only three months after she sent her letter.

 _Dear Ms. Sarah Sisulart,_

 _Please excuse this rushed response, but I am very excited to meet you and Mr. Kaim Argonar. Please accept this official letter of invitation. I welcome you warmly to my home._

 _Her Royal Highness, Ming Numara_

Sarah could have died and gone to the afterlife if they had one. She squealed and ran to her bed— _our bed_ , she reminded herself with delight—where Kaim was currently taking a nap, tripping along the way and slamming head first into his stomach. He woke up with a start. "Ow."

"Sorry! But look!" She adjusted her glasses and practically shoved the short letter into his face. "And she wrote it with her _own hand_! And we can go! We've got to go now! And—I don't know what to wear? What do we pack? Oh, my goodness, do I have money saved up? Can I afford to travel?" Sarah started to feel the panic rise from her belly. She rolled off a groaning Kaim as elbows dug into his ribs and looked around her room. "Oh no, I haven't made any new dresses in such a long time! But what if she doesn't like old handmade things?"

Kaim rubbed the spot where her elbows attacked him. "I'm sure she wouldn't care what you were wearing so long as it was clean."

"But Kaim. We're going to meet _the Queen_!" She threw her hands up as if that was going to make a difference in what she was saying. "We can't just go waltzing into her palace wearing country bumpkin clothing!"

"Well, we are on a mountain. Not exactly country." Kaim had that teasing smile on his face, and Sarah wasn't having it.

"On a mountain no one has heard of! Tell me, when people ask where you live do you tell them Tosca and they then say, _'never heard of it?'_ " Sarah crossed her arms. "It's happened. It's going to happen every time! We mind as well be…be…peasants!" Sarah ran over to the large chest in the corner of the room. She pulled it open and found her money purse. "I haven't been saving as much as I should."

"Sarah, don't worry about money." Kaim had crossed over to her and took the purse out of her hand. He put it back in the chest and gave her a look. "You forget that I have too much saved up."

"But I couldn't ask you to spend anything!" Sarah stomped her foot and Kaim quirked a smile. That made her a little angrier, so she pouted her lips and Kaim laughed. "This is no laughing matter."

"I've had almost eight hundred years of pay saved up from countless armies, missions, and kings. The last big purchase I made was that vacation we went on nine years ago." Kaim shut her chest. "So, don't worry about it."

Sarah knew she wasn't going to win. Instead, she sighed. "Fine. Okay. It's paid for then, but we still need to be able to present ourselves well! Ah!" She looked up at him with a smile stretching across her cheeks. "You've met plenty of kings and queens! You can teach me everything I need to know about how to act around one!"

"Haven't you met a few yourself?"

"Only a dozen or so, but never an Immortal one!" Sarah clasped her hands in front of her. "And I know you haven't met her either, but you still know more than me!"

And so Kaim became Sarah's teacher while they traveled from the mountain village to the sunny Numara. The only way to get to Numara was by boat, and even though Sarah was nervous about the ride over, Kaim assured her that they should be traveling through easy waters. It would be nothing like the last time they traveled together.

Kaim wrote a short reply to the Queen letting them know when to expect them and sent it off the next time the mail carrier came a few days later. "Because we are taking your boat, it is going to take longer to arrive in Numara, so they should have time to prepare for us," he said.

They took a day to go shopping for supplies in Saman. "I've made a check list of all the things we need for the boat here!" Sarah said, tapping a finger to her list. "And then we get down to the new clothes we'll need to buy. I wonder if I should buy a bonnet, or is that too much? Oh! There's a nice hat!"

Sarah felt Kaim tug on her long sleeve. She turned to look at him, and she laughed at his expression. "Okay, okay. No hats!"

Despite not wanting any new clothing, Kaim allowed her to buy him three new trousers and three nice shirts before he drew the line at clothing for himself. He told Sarah she could get whatever she wanted, and she thought long and hard about how she wanted to dress herself before finally only buying four new dresses for herself. Kaim shook his head. "You're so indecisive."

"Well, I guess your way does make sense. We'll look more foolish walking in and staying there wearing things we're uncomfortable in. But I do need new dresses for any fancy meals we may have," she finished with a knowing smile. He shook his head, but agreed, and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

He did have to pull her away from shoes though, teasing, "Who's really going to pay attention to your feet?" Sarah had to agree.

They stayed one last night in Tosca before they made their way down to Sarah's little boat that was docked on the sea. After securing what they needed and casting off, Kaim sat Sarah down and began the month-long lesson on royalty etiquette.

. . .

Sarah couldn't believe how beautiful Numara was, and they had not even stepped off the boat yet. They weren't in the town, just the port that wasn't quite connected to the Grand State of Numara, but everything looked so very white. The marble stood in contrast to the black gates they were approaching, and beyond that was just so much green. Sarah hadn't seen any place with these many types of flowers, and she had to control herself from wandering away from Kaim.

The guard at the gates gave them looks as they got closer. Sarah may have looked disheveled and lost for words, but Kaim knew exactly how to present himself as he very graciously pulled out the welcoming letter from the Queen. "Here to see Her Royal Highness."

The man inspected the letter and almost looked to want to reject them and send them back onto the boat, but he did step aside the gate and held out the letter back to its owner. "Welcome to Port Numara. If you exit and head north, Numara is not but a mile's walk from here. Her Highness has already sent word of your arrival, so someone will be down to carry your things from your boat to the Palace. If you so wish, you can wait for them and they can escort you."

"We should be fine but thank you." Kaim took the letter, informed the guard where their things were kept on the ship, and they walked through the gate.

"Well he could have been a little less rude."

Kaim shrugged. "Just doing his duty. Not very many people get to come through this country. Seems the immortal Queen is strict on visitation."

Sarah knew of that information, as she had tried several times to step foot into this place and always missed the opportunity; but she was soon distracted by what she was seeing on their walk. She found herself wandering off the path with her small notebook at hand, jotting every detail down. After the third time, Kaim held onto her hip. With a playful tone, he told her, "we're here for a month. You will have time to write everything down. Let's enjoy the path and get to Numara before dinnertime."

Sarah laughed, and tucked her book away. He was right. They had plenty of time.

.

Numara was a bustling city. Adults and children alike were outside in the sun, enjoying the fresh and salty summer breeze. Sarah could hardly contain her excitement as the sights and smells that assaulted her senses, leaving her buzzing with new energy. This grand country was something she never dreamed she'd have the chance to see, and this was one of the times where being an immortal really worked in her favor.

Kaim just kept a gentle hand on her shoulder as they made their way through the center of the city. Sarah managed to rein in her curiosity and remain on the path past the marvelous styled houses and towards their destination.

Kaim stopped in front of the Inn, stretching out. "How about we freshen up? I'm sure they would allow us to use their baths for a moment?"

Sarah nodded, pulling her travel pack off her back. Inside she had one of her nice dresses neatly folded along with a pair of nice shoes. She looked down at her traveling boots and wondered just what mud puddles she waded through on their short walk. "That would be a good idea."

After a quick, but refreshing, bath, Kaim asked the Inn Keeper to send their packs to their room ahead of them and they were on their way again.

Sarah gasped at the high pillars before her. The Numara Palace was swathed in white marble that shown brilliantly in the setting sun. The doors stood tall and arched at the top to match. It was a perfect blend of a summer home and royalty, and Sarah could only dream of having anything this grand back in Tosca. When Sarah finally felt her thoughts catch up to her steps, she realized that she must be gawking at her surroundings, and closed her mouth.

As Kaim handed over the letter to the guard, said mouth grew dry and her heart hammered in her chest. She let go of Kaim's hand, wiping sweaty palms onto her skirt. She could see Kaim quirk an eyebrow at her, but she couldn't find the words to say anything about it. She was afraid if she opened her mouth only gibberish would fall out.

She was suddenly feeling very woozy and uncommonly shy. As the doors opened, and she stood still feeling like a fish out of water, Kaim reached back and held out his hand. She hooked onto it, and that gave her the little motivation she needed to take a step forward.

The inside looked even grander than the outside. Sarah took a shaky breath in. The throne stood empty in the front of the wide hall, the only other living souls were the two guards who stood at the door to the right of it. Sarah and Kaim made their way over. "Kaim Argonar and Sarah Sisulart, welcome. Her Royal Highness is currently in a meeting but will meet with you in her personal drawing room shortly. Right this way."

The guard turned, and they followed him out the door.

.

Sarah marveled at how tall everything was. The ceiling seemed to stretch along forever, and when they reached the other door after a long hall, she gasped out loud. Despite this being the inside of a castle, the ceiling opened to the heavens, and there was a garden that was full of flowers and other exotic plants. She didn't know if she was expecting anything less. She squeezed Kaim's hand, suddenly forgetting about her earlier nervousness. He squeezed back. "It is truly beautiful," she whispered.

"It is," he replied. Sarah grew quiet once more, not trusting herself to say anything else. She just watched in a daze as they walked through the colorful path.

They stopped at a door, and guard spoke up. "These will be your accommodations. Your personal belongings from your boat and the Inn have already arrived. After you meet with the Queen, someone will escort you back here. The drawing room is a little way up ahead. Let's continue."

The mention of the Queen and drawing room sent Sarah's earlier queasiness back in full motion. She wiped her palms again, and Kaim pulled her closer to him when she reattached herself to him. He leaned his head down, whispering, "everything okay?"

"No," Sarah said with a sigh. "We're meeting a _Queen_! Someone I've looked up to ever since finding out that she was like us. And you know me," Sarah continued looking up at Kaim. "Remember when I met King Frederick of Uhra?"

"You were a little less sweaty," Kaim recalled. Sarah bumped his body with her own but couldn't help the little smile that pressed onto her lips. "I remember, but don't worry. You can survive this. You can survive anything anyone throws at you. Even royalty."

Sarah nodded, but kept her mouth shut. The words were comforting, but she couldn't help herself. The buzz of meeting Ming Numara was almost too much to bare. She found herself wanting to hide behind her immortal lover like a child hiding from strangers.

They finally reached another large door and stepped back onto the cool marble floor. The guard walked them up a flight of stairs and into a room with several comfortable chairs. He nodded, and Kaim thanked him, Sarah still not trusting herself just yet to speak. After the doors closed, she let go of Kaim's hand and wandered around the room. Her feet automatically went towards the bookshelf across the room, and she ignored the chuckle coming from the other person in the room.

Ming Numara had dozens of different kinds of books in many different languages lining her shelf. Sarah could read some of the languages, but others were a complete mystery to her. _It does make sense for an Immortal Queen to know as many languages as she can, but I was not expecting all of this!_ Sarah thought to herself. She brushed fingers against spines as she made her slow walk around the room.

Kaim had relaxed himself into a sofa and was staring out of the grand window to the sea. One could see the Port of Numara a short distance away, and Sarah wondered how her little boat was faring. She stopped in front the window.

The sea spread out for miles, leading into a hazy blue line that met the burning orange sky on the horizon. The Free Ocean State of Numara was in the middle of the ocean, and not much was known of the mysterious nation, and Sarah could only hope to fill up her journals about this adventure. "Will a month be enough time, Kaim?"

Kaim made a little noise, not an exact answer. Sarah turned and found her way to him. She sat down next to him with a sigh. "I fear I will not be able to record anything substantial in that amount of time."

"Well, if this visit goes well, we may be able to come again." Kaim wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "I don't see how we could mess this up, though. You were a pretty good and thorough student on the way down."

Sarah smiled. "Only because my teacher was surprisingly very knowledgeable in his content."

"Centuries dealing with kings and monarchies will do that to a person. Though, I haven't met too many reigning women." Kaim leaned back in his seat sighing. "I'm sure a Queen will be a very refreshing sound to hear."

"No taking orders?"

"None whatsoever. This is a vacation away from the military." And Sarah could truly tell by the sound of his voice that it was a much-needed break. Kaim's mouth curved up into a mischievous grin, and he added, "besides, you wouldn't be able to function here without me."

"And what do you mean by that?"

But before he could give his spirited reply, the doors opened. The both of them jumped out of their seats, Sarah nervously pushing hair behind her ear.

Ming Numara walked in, heels gently clicking the floor underneath her. Her hair was tied up neatly on the top of her head, only leaving a few crimson curls out of place. Her long silk dress was unwrinkled and very brilliantly blue, which contrasted to her pale skin and green jeweled necklace. Sarah noted that her dress was a very simple design, but the Queen's way of holding herself made her look very powerful. Almost electrifying. Sarah itched in her own clothes, wishing she had worn something a little more elegant.

Kaim gently nudged her on his way down to a bow. Sarah remembered her manners and curtsied beside him. Ming waited for the doors to shut behind her, before relaxing her shoulders. She nodded once, and the two of them stood upright again. "It is so very nice to meet the both of you," she said. Her smile brought a little ease to Sarah's tossing stomach.

"And us to you. Thank you, again, for allowing us this visit."

Ming's smile brightened, and Sarah couldn't help but to match it. "It is a true honor to meet you, my Queen," she said with another bow of her head.

"Oh, Ming, please." The Immortal Queen sat herself down on the chair across from them. Sarah and Kaim sat back down onto their seats as she did so. "Finding more people like myself is a truly wonderful experience, and I just feel like it would be wrong to have you be so formal."

The door opened again, and one lady brought in a tray of tea with sandwiches. "Do forgive me, but I have already had my dinner earlier. If you need something more substantial, please let me know."

"Oh, it's no problem, Your—M-Ming!" Sarah blushed at her stumbled words. Kaim laid a hand on her knee and she let out her breath.

"We ate a pretty good lunch," Kaim finished for her. He accepted the offering of a sandwich, passing one over to Sarah. She took one bite, surprising herself at how easy it was to eat despite her nerves.

"Your travels were well, I presume?"

Sarah nodded, Kaim filled in with, "very. The ocean fared well on us and our boat."

"That is good to hear." Sarah waited for an awkward silence, but the Queen spoke up again. "I must know, what have you been doing these years? There is a lot that can happen in seven and a half hundred years," she continued, taking a small sip of tea. Sarah smiled around her sandwich. The Queen was just as eager as herself to know what happens in an almost eight-hundred-year life.

Kaim motioned towards Sarah. "This one here happens to be a record keeper." Sarah felt her heart still on the spot. She suddenly had no stories or any thoughts in her head to marvel a queen with, but luckily, he continued. "I am a mercenary for hire for the other neighboring kingdoms."

"Oh my!" Ming clapped her hands together, eyes sparkling. Sarah was reminded a little of herself, though she usually had less control over her curiosity and arm flailing. "The both of you must have such dazzling stories to tell! I am sorry, please excuse my interest." She seemed to compose herself, as if she had crossed a line. Sarah watched as she sat up a little straighter and gave them an apologetic look. "I do not meet immortals every day," she added with her own shy smile.

"Not at all!" Sarah scooted up in her seat. "I've always dreamed of coming to Numara, and you must have such thrilling stories of your own!"

"I would not say thrilling, exactly," Ming said with a light laugh. "It is very good to hear that you are interested in Numara, the Peaceful Kingdom. The history here is very rich. It looks like we will have plenty to talk about in your stay."

"And thank you for your accommodations for us, Ming." Kaim set his empty cup down. "I'm sorry if there was any inconvenience in it."

"None at all, Mr. Argonar."

"Kaim."

"Kaim," she corrected. "You are honored guests and I would not have you staying any place else."

The first meeting was a short one. Soon, Ming was excusing herself to finish the last of her paperwork before she was to retire, and another guard was taking them to their room.

The guest room was large, Sarah was amazed at how she could almost fit half, if not most, of her home into this one space. "I wasn't expecting it to be this big! I know we're guests inside the palace, but…"

"You were expecting something smaller?" Kaim was looking over their things that were carried to the room earlier. He stood up, seeming to see everything was in order, before walking over to the chair by the door. He pulled off his shoes and then leaned back in the chair. "Like a broom closet?"

"You're such a comedian, Kaim," Sarah said, voice falling flat. He laughed and held out his arms. She sighed and sat down on his lap. She kicked off her nice shoes and settled her head into the crook of his neck. She felt his arms wrap around her, and she hummed into her cozy position. She loved the feeling of his chest moving with each breath, knowing that he was alive and that he was hers to hold and cherish. She knew he felt the same, as he fit his chin on the crown of her head. This was much more comfortable than the monthlong boat ride and the accommodation that came with it. With a tired sigh, she added, "I bet any broom closet here is bigger than our kitchen at home."

Kaim snorted at that.

. . .

The first few days went like this: breakfast with the Queen, a quick tour of different areas of the castle, explore the city by themselves or with a castle guide, dinner at the castle, and conversation with the Queen in her drawing room.

On the fifth day there was a storm. It came suddenly, and with how heavy the rainfall was, the two traveling immortals decided they'd stay inside. With the morning disruption of weather, Ming found that she had an opening that morning. "I would love to show you my personal library, Sarah. If you would like, you may come, too, Kaim."

Kaim smiled, and bowed low. "Being in a library surrounded by books is more of Sarah's specialty, and career. I wouldn't want to bore the two of you. If you do not, mind I would like to take a walk."

The queen smiled and tilted her head. Kaim bowed again and reached over to squeeze Sarah's hand. "I'll see you later."

"Y-yes!" she squeaked out. This would be the first time she would be alone with the Immortal Monarchy. She could feel a flutter of nerves tickle her belly as they walked away from Kaim and down another stretch of hall.

"You write?" Ming suggested.

"I do." Sarah nervously tucked her hair behind her ear. "I travel the world and try to capture histories past." She looked up and was startled at the intent stare the queen was giving her. She blushed a little, looking down again. "Um. That's how I survived the first two hundred years of my life. Writing for various sources and colleges and things."

"If I recall how this world used to be, was it hard to go around freely like that?" Ming turned down another passage, and Sarah was left to wonder how anyone could remember where to go in this place. "The world was not as…accepting of us women back then."

"I do remember having a hard first century or so," Sarah conceded, thinking back. "You're right. The world didn't welcome a working woman as much back then. It was through trial and error to find the right footing, but I finally managed to get myself in Uhra and their scholars."

"The right direction to take, if I do say so myself," Ming responded. "They are the best in the world. Their research has changed our lives so much in the last few centuries."

"And it would seem their magical knowledge is gaining in momentum! I can see it overcoming Gohtza in the next hundred years if it continues like this!" Sarah smiled, looking up at Ming. "I've been meaning to take another visit to the place and try to learn from their black mages."

"Oh?" But before Ming could continue they had reached their destination. The grand double doors loomed above them, and Sarah couldn't contain her gasp at what they held behind them. Towers of bookshelves on three different levels of floors greeted her. In the center of the domed ceiling was the most intricate chandelier she had ever seen. She could just imagine the light from the sun reflecting on it and leaving the most radiant pattern on the floor and shelves around them. With a snap of an immortal finger, Ming lit the candles and ushered Sarah through the door. "Welcome."

"This has got to be the grandest library I've ever seen!" Sarah found herself quickly walking up to the closest shelf. "These books date back centuries, and they look brand new!"

"Thank you," Ming said, joining her at the shelf. The queen pulled a book off and opened its pages to let Sarah see the inside. "There is a special kind of charm I have set on them that allows them to stop aging, if you will."

Sarah carefully pulled off a book from the shelf and gently turned the pages. It was a detailing of the Khent and Numaran agreement, an event that happened five hundred years ago, and one that Sarah had studied immensely. She could feel her curiosity devour her as she wondered what the Numaran outlook on the agreement was. No one knew for sure what the Queen had said to get the agreement started, except the Grand State itself, so to hold it in her hands was the purest delight. Also, to see a dated book in this condition made her heart sing. She couldn't even get her books to stay so immaculate. So many of them she had to recopy after a few decades because her spells wore off. She closed the book, and after running a hand over the cover, she slipped it back onto the shelf.

"I want to show you something." Ming lead her around a few shelves and up one flight of stairs. Sarah could hardly keep her eyes from crossing from all the colors they were passing through. There seemed to be no end to the books in the library. Ming finally stopped at a set of moving steps and climbed up them. Sarah watched as she looked around a moment and then snapped her finger. "This whole row of books is what I wanted to show you. Come on up. There is room."

Sarah climbed the steps next to her and looked to where Ming had pointed to. She made a surprised noise in her throat, and then laughed. "That's me!"

"It is." Ming gave her a smile. "I had to write back to you straight away when I received your letter. I came upon your book on protection magic some six hundred and thirty years ago, and then over the years I realized that I had collected several of your books. I did not make a connection that you were like me until I got your letter, and then I looked back on your familiar name. I looked at all of your books and realized the dates ranged from the beginning of our lives to just about now. Sarah Sisulart, an immortal just like me, writing books for centuries."

Sarah picked up the book she had been talking about. There on the front: _The Properties and Elements of Barriers_. The first of a few volumes. She had written that while struggling in her first eighty years of her life. "This book is what caught the interest of Uhra. They found me, surprisingly, and hired me to teach new mages about these kind of protective spells! It's so weird to think that back then magic was somewhat new to this world!" Sarah sighed, and bit the corner of her lip. "I do have to wonder how Uhra would be today without this knowledge," she continued with a frown. "I often think that sometimes their intentions are not for the best."

"Uhra has been a Kingdom of great power for a long while now," Ming added. "I think any nation has only their survival on mind. I am the same way."

"Oh?"

"I would do almost anything to keep my people safe." Ming rested a hand on the book Sarah held. "Everything but go into war. This book helped me, too."

"Really?" Sarah felt her cheeks flush. "I can't imagine! Little old me?" Sarah ended with a nervous laugh.

Ming chuckled, and made her way back down the steps. "When I awoke in this world, I knew I had power. I do not know what I did in my past life to acquire it, but I realized that I would need it to protect myself.

"When I woke up, and after getting glimpses of the companions I traveled here with, I found myself by the ocean. There was a small village, ravaged by war and hunger that seemed to be dying out slowly and I could feel my heart ache. There was no common language, but I was soon labeled the healer."

Ming took a seat at one of the many reading couches and offered Sarah a place next to her. Sarah couldn't believe the excitement she was feeling from getting to know Ming Numara's origin story. She made sure to keep her lips sealed least she embarrass herself with her questions. "I didn't know at the time, but magic was new to the world, and very new to the people I was helping. I also learned very quickly that having power and using it could lead to disaster."

She looked down at her hands. "Word got out of a healer in the small village and within a week, we were decimated, and I was captured."

"You mean they kill—" Sarah stopped herself, but Ming answered with a sad nod.

"They took the life of every man, woman, and child so that no one else knew of my power," she said with a sigh. "I was held against my will, and only kept alive so that I could heal their warriors."

"How did you get out?" Sarah hoped she wasn't overstepping herself to ask questions, but Ming seemed ready to answer.

"I realized that the only way I'd be able to save myself was to attack. Black Magic seemed to roar within my veins just as white magic did, but it took anger and fear to draw it out. I made my own way out and left no one to follow."

Ming furled her hands and gave Sarah a sad smile. "I came back to the village I came to love in that short amount of time, and decided I would make a difference in my time here in this new world. I found passage to this island and started to build."

She lifted a hand and set it on top of Sarah's. Sarah felt the warmth spread from her hand to her cheeks. "And when I found your book it changed the way I thought of mortals, of magic, of war and disagreements, and my very small kingdom." Ming smiled fully at her. "I knew it was not battles that I needed to fight to keep my people safe. I needed protection, and your book gave me the knowledge to do so."

"Wow." Sarah scratched her cheek in embarrassment. "To think I helped a queen!"

"Your books helped me realize just what it meant to be neutral. That to help the lives of my people, I first needed to make sure that they could survive and that we could survive without hurting other people. So, Sarah, thank you so much." Ming squeezed her hand, a wide smile coming to her face. "I am so very happy to be able to say it in person."

Sarah lifted her hand away from Ming and set both on her cheeks. "I can't take your thank you! Oh, I'm blushing! I'm sure of it!" She laughed, and Ming joined in beside her.

. . .

Sarah joined Ming in her garden. The storms had subsided, and every surface seemed to be slick with water, but she imagined it would all dry up eventually. Kaim was taking a nap in their guest room. He must have had an adventurous walk around the palace, as he was softly snoring away when Sarah arrived earlier that afternoon. She had curled up in bed beside him and fell asleep. When she awoke, the rain had stopped.

After a small rest herself, Ming invited Sarah back to her. "Have you always been interested in magic?"

Sarah nodded, lifting her eyes away from the beautiful white bloom in front of her. "When I woke up here I could conjure up white magic almost instantly."

"I was the same."

"It sounds like you got the hang of a lot of magic right away," Sarah said, then added hastily, "I'm sorry if I assumed—!"

"Oh, no, you have it right." Ming gave her an uplifted smile, and it calmed Sarah's nerves. "I felt and knew my power, and I can say that I did know a lot. Though not everything."

"You still needed to figure out how to make barriers?" Sarah suggested.

The queen nodded. "Was that something that came naturally to you?"

Sarah nodded, then paused. "Actually, a bit no. I had to do some studying. I sort of found it by accident. Something was chasing me, and I very quickly blocked it with magic. That got me thinking. If I can construct a small wall to block weapons—or teeth, which was what was attacking me before—why couldn't I protect myself?" Sarah smiled, thinking back to her research. "Back then, and even now, I know my own body so very well so creating a wall was a snap! Anything bigger needs concentration."

"What has been your biggest barrier?"

Sarah thought. "Well, probably the top of Tosca Mountains, where Kaim and I live. I'm not the greatest at distance and mapping, but maybe a three-mile radius, around?"

Ming looked very surprised. Sarah clasped her hands together. "I'm estimating! Maybe too much?"

"You can protect a whole town?"

Sarah looked a little embarrassed as she nodded. Ming blinked at her. "I did not think that could be possible."

"It takes a really long time. Well…long to mortals I guess. It took me living in Tosca probably about a six and a half years before I could configure the magic to make it just right. It's a lot of testing, and pushing, and reworking the weaves in the wall before I can get things exactly right."

"That is astonishing!" Ming grabbed one of Sarah's hand. "I cannot even imagine the concentration it took to do that!"

"It-it is a little overwhelming!" Sarah's face flushed even more. She felt her voice go up an octave. "I um, I studied it for maybe a century before I could get that good!"

"I can only put a barrier up on myself!" Ming was practically gushing now, and Sarah couldn't take it. She had a big smile plastered on her face and felt that at any moment she could start crying from the praise. "I do not think I could ever push myself that hard to make a wall around all of Numara!"

Sarah laughed a little. Ming squeezed her hand and gave her a warm smile. "I bet you could!"

"It would take…take years!" Sarah laughed. "And you also have to remember that there is a lot of energy that gets put into it. I can't hold up barriers for an infinite amount of time without collapsing from exhaustion. I think the longest I've been able to do it was five months. And that was only for Tosca!"

"If only I could." Ming looked wishful.

Sarah felt the need to compliment her companion. "Uh well, I mean! You have such a great handle on black magic! And you're so powerful, I'm sure you could learn!" Sarah pulled Ming's attention back to her. She grabbed both of the Queen's hands and hoped she wasn't being too bold from the act. "I keep seeing you do small things with the elements and I am amazed! Like even now you're using composite magic to heat the air and dry out the earth!" Sarah was happy that she noticed that the raindrops on the white flowers and the grass beneath their feet had suddenly all dried up.

Ming blushed a little herself and laughed. "It seems I do it without thought now. I hate the mud that I could track through my gardens."

Sarah laughed. "And I only wish I could do half of what you do! There have been many situations where I could have used black magic, but I can't seem to get the hang of it. Well, I mean I can't really control it."

"Can I teach you?"

Sarah blinked up at the taller woman. She had such a kind smile on her face that Sarah wouldn't let herself believe that she was jesting. "You'd show me?"

Ming nodded. "It is the least I can do for all of the help you have given me in the past. All that wisdom you shared in your pages of writing really helped me during my younger years as Queen. It would be my pleasure to show you."

Sarah curtsied, and said with head lowered. "It would be an honor, Your Majesty!"

. . .

Kaim woke from his nap, and it was late afternoon. He didn't expect to train the Queen's guard in a different style of practical defense that morning, so when he fell asleep he slept hard. He was surprised not to see Sarah in their room and decided to slip on his shoes to go find her. "I don't think I've seen her all day. Not since I left her with Ming this morning," he said aloud to himself.

When he did finally find her, she was still in the garden with Ming. The two women were practicing holding out a ball of fire and laughing when Sarah's would blink out of existence.

"Good try! It did last longer this time, I think."

"I hope so!" he heard her say with another tinkering laugh. "I think I'm starting to understand the concept behind it."

Ming complimented her on something he couldn't quite understand, and he could hear Sarah's gentle giggle in reply. Kaim leaned against the doorway and watched for a moment, a warm smile of his own spreading onto his lips. Sarah was so worried about the Numaran Queen disliking her, but now just a few days after they arrived they were getting along like old friends.

After another few minutes like this, Sarah finally caught his eye, and happily waved him over. "You've got to see this, Kaim! It's simply fascinating!"

Kaim stood up straight, and then made his way over to the magicians in front of him.


	15. The Girl from the Islands

Kaim woke up to the sun blaring in from open curtains. It took him a moment to blink away the light and curl his face into the pillow. He had to remind himself that he was safe, that he wasn't outside in a camp. That he wasn't outside in a war. There was not any reason to fumble for his weapon, or pull on his uniform, because there wasn't a threat here. He took a deep lungful of air, breathing in the slightly mildewed pillow, and let it out slowly.

He moved his head away from his rest, taking in another thirty seconds before he knew it would be time to get up. To start the day anew, and away from his nightmares.

In between the wars, on his down time as he liked to call it, he kept himself busy by helping out anyone in need of extra hands. He found that during the harvesting months, farmers were always shorthanded, so he found himself wandering over to some farmlands. At least that was the pattern he followed in his first sixty years of living, if he could call it living. By now he understood that he was very different from the people he roomed beside.

He knew not to stay in any one place long, not when his immortal body never aged. Mortals didn't take too kindly to those who were different than themselves, so Kaim lived a solitary life. He didn't mind it so much.

This particular break from the mercenary life led him to wheat farmers. It was autumn and it was time to start cutting down the tall plant, and the lucky farmer who hired Kaim was very pleased that he could cut it so neatly and quickly without much fatigue. "It's like a weapon, eh?" the farmer commented with a laugh.

Kaim just swung the sickle, keeping to himself. The farmer laughed again and went back to his own business. The less Kaim talked, the better it was. He was still trying to understand these mortals. Reading them was hard, and befriending them was harder. He couldn't quite figure out the level of friendliness to exhibit, and by the time he thought he might be ready to try, mortals had already labeled him as weird and distant. Why try now when in just a month he was probably going to leave without a single goodbye? Better to stay unsociable and figure out how to get away from these flat lands before winter.

Halfway through the reaping, as his farmer-boss called it, he came to a standstill in ignoring the mortals. As the sun found its spot in the middle of the sky, Kaim watched as a younger woman walked down to the fields to deliver their noontime meal. Usually it was the farmer's old wife who came down wheeling the cart of food, but it would seem that she had fallen ill. This new woman had long raven black hair, and bright green eyes. Her clothes seemed to differ from the normal outfits he saw around here. They seemed looser, lighter in color, a little fluttery, and definitely shorter than what seemed normal. Kaim didn't see many women around this place to compare to, but he was sure he had never seen a lady's skirt not reach her ankles. Her sandaled feet were covered in dirt like she had been outside all day, and Kaim noticed that her skin looked tanned under the sun. He wondered from what island she wandered off of to come to the middle of the countryside this way? She wore a warm smile on her face as the farmer introduced her.

"This here is Isla," the farmer said, patting the woman on the back. "She's my niece from the south, and she'll be helping out around here." Isla bowed and when she rose back up, her green eyes locked in on Kaim.

He could feel the heat rising to his face as it became clear that she was not going to look away. Not wanting to seem like he was staring at her the whole time, despite the contrary, he turned away and went back to work to await his turn for his meal. _Strange_ , he thought to himself, rising his sickle again. _Strange_ , and that's all he could think.

. . .

Kaim found Isla to be perplexing. She never strayed too close to him, but not exactly far away either when she came down to bring their meals or water. She made eye contact, but when it happened he would quickly look away. When he would sneak a glance, though, most of the time she was still looking straight at him. Kaim found it a little unnerving at first— _why would she want to look at me?—_ but after a while, he learned to ignore it. Despite his attempts to pay no attention to her when she was down in the field, he found that he couldn't get his mind to stop thinking about her after she left. As the days grew shorter, the more he thought about Isla, and the more confused he felt.

After a week, she finally approached him, and he was startled out of his swinging. "Oh, I'm sorry." She smiled at him, and somehow Kaim knew she wasn't exactly apologizing for anything. "I just thought you'd like some water."

"Uh," Kaim said, flinching at how ridiculous his voice sounded. Had it really been that long since he had talked to anyone? And why did she make the effort today to come talk to him? He usually came to the cart himself and silently made the exchange without any eye contact or words. "Sure."

"Not a man of many words." Isla handed him a new canteen, heavy with cool water. "Well, that's okay. Here you go!"

"Thank you." Kaim made sure he sounded like he meant it. She looked on the edge of wanting to carry on this talk, but he didn't know how to start. He really didn't know how to begin any kind of casual conversation with another person, much less carry it, but he didn't have the chance to try it out today. She gave him another smile and wave, before walking over to another worker.

Kaim took a long drink of water. For whatever reason he felt like his body warmed up twenty degrees despite the cooler wind that was starting to carry through the fields of wheat.

. . .

The next day, at the same time, she came to talk to him again. This time Kaim was ready, sort of. "Nice weather?" He couldn't be more proud of the topic, however lame it really sounded. He observed many mortals start out their day like this and surely this could prompt Isla into leading the way.

"Oh!" She jumped. He guessed no one expected him to talk to anyone first. She giggled behind a hand, and Kaim felt his heart jump at the sound. "Yes! It's starting to get cooler down here, um. I never got your name."

"Kaim. Kaim Argonar." He lifted up a hand. _Mortals shook hands when they were meeting for the first time right_? He reprimanded himself for not remembering that the day before when they actually first talked to each other. For half a second he thought she wasn't going to take his weird handshake offer, but without missing a beat she shyly offered her own in a small shake. Her hands were rough, he noticed. Little callouses ringed her fingertips and palms like she carried things around all day. They were not unlike his, though he couldn't imagine this woman welding a sickle, much less a sword for battle. "It's nice to meet you?" he managed to get out. He could feel his face heat up again and he had to wonder what exactly was going on with him. He felt like a fool.

"You must not be from around here," she said, laughing again. "But that's okay! Neither am I! It is very nice to finally know your name, Mr. Argonar."

And that's how the week played out: nice weather and Mr. Argonar. Kaim felt himself growing weary from trying to think of more topics to talk about, but he never had the chance to say anything more than the comment on the weather. It was exhausting trying to gather his courage to talk to her, and at the end of their interaction he was left wondering if there was even a point in getting worked up about it. By the sixth day of the small talk he was ready to avoid contact with any mortal for the rest of his days.

However many he had ahead of him, which was probably a lot. Forever, maybe.

On the seventh day of what might be another agonizing good weather talk, an early fall storm decided to show up. The raining stopped the work for the day, and Kaim found that he didn't have much to do without it.

So he spent the morning staring out the window, until he heard a knock on his door. All of the help had their own little rooms in an old, but renovated, barn next to the farmer's own home, so Kaim wasn't exactly surprised to see Isla at the door with an umbrella, carrying breakfast. "Good morning, Mr. Argonar."

"Hello." He at least knew it was polite to let someone through the door, away from the bad weather outside. He opened the door wider and gently took the food out of her hands. She thanked him, folded the umbrella, and leaned it against the door. "You didn't come down for breakfast, so I thought I'd bring some back to you."

"Oh, uh, thank you."

Kaim stared down at the food in his hand, then back to Isla. She tilted her head a little and motioned at him. He froze in his spot, and she saw his reaction. "You can eat. I don't mind."

Kaim wondered if it was normal for people to watch other people eat in such close quarters. On the battlefield, the soldiers ate in silence and in haste. There wasn't much room for staring and chit-chat. Here, though, would he have to talk? She might want a pleasant conversation, but he knew he wasn't the most attractive eater in the world. In the army you had to gulp down your food and get back to work— _and this wasn't an army camp_ , he reminded himself again. It was just his room and a guest.

Unsure of how to go about this, he set the plate down on the little desk that was provided to him. He stared down at it, trying to think was it rude to just start? Did he need to offer half to her? "I, uh, did you? Did you e-eat?" He couldn't sound any less smooth.

Isla gave him a smile and nodded. "I ate."

"Do you need to sit?" Kaim offered her his desk chair, but she shook her head. He could see the laugh that wanted to escape her lips. He felt like the world was collapsing, and anxiety was starting to kick in. How could one person make him feel like such an idiot? How did mortals live with themselves after making another person feel so awkward? How could he get out of this situation without making her feel bad or disgusted? Why did it have to be Isla that makes him feel like he has two left feet? He couldn't even figure out if it was really her to blame, or this new weird feeling of inadequacy that suddenly moved into him in this last week. The air suddenly thickened and his lungs screamed out to open a window for fresh air, but the roaring thunder told him otherwise. Why couldn't he just be alone? He frowned, looking at the floor.

"You need to sit down to eat! Please don't mind me!" She smiled, but Kaim could feel his discomfort level shoot through the roof. Was she just going to stand there and _watch_ him eat? Wasn't that rude, or did it not make her as uncomfortable as he was right now? How does he go about this? Couldn't she just leave? He had to do something before she questioned if he was a statue, so he forced his arms to move.

He sat down, decided after a moment that he didn't like having a person behind him he couldn't watch with his own eyes—a curse of paranoia behavior that refused to stay in the battlefield after he had left it—so he turned his chair sideways and held the plate of food with one hand. He couldn't really decide if he had an appetite after overthinking everything he has done in the last three minutes. Isla, meanwhile, wasn't even paying any attention to him. Instead just looking out at the rain pouring down on the fields.

Before Kaim could think of voicing the annoyance he was feeling at her presence in his room, no matter how rude he thought that would make him, she said, "the rain reminds me of the spring where I'm from."

Kaim didn't say anything, but he waited to see if she would continue. This was a little bit different than 'how's the weather,' so he thought he might want to listen harder. Learn a thing or two. She moved away from the window as a flash of lightening lit up the gray sky. She sat on his bed, which made him anxious for more reasons than he would like, but continued to look outside. "It pours and pours, and the sea is angry, and it makes me thank the gods we live on higher ground."

She finally looked at him, a sad look on her face. He stopped eating for a moment wondering just what was going to happen next. He was the worst at reading emotions, and was she going to _cry_? Panic was well on its way into his brain, and all he could do was freeze with the fork in his mouth.

"Ah, but I'm happy to be away for a little bit." A smile lit her face again, and Kaim sighed a little in relief to have avoided tears. He hated grief, and saw too many men and women cry in the business he was in. No need to bring those unhappy memories up.

Instead he tried, "so are you from…islands?" Islands and Isla. It seemed to fit.

And she knew it fit. "Yes. My mother and father thought it was a joke to name me Isla because we live on islands. So very original."

One thing Kaim had learned about these mortals of this earth was that sarcasm came in many different forms. This one, he hoped, was playful. So he smiled, and luckily she smiled back. "Kaim isn't a name I've heard before. Are your parents just as silly as mine?"

Kaim set the plate on his lap and almost tangled his fork in his hair from lifting his hand up. "Well…I'm from…not around here. I don't remember my parents much. Actually, I don't remember much of anything at all."

She tilted her head, curious. "Like you can't remember your childhood?"

Kaim shrugged. "Nothing. I remember waking up sixty yea-sixteen, I-I mean, years ago?" Kaim dropped his fork. He had to think clearer or he was going to blow his cover. Although, he was sure Isla would just think he was being mischievous if he told her the truth about his unendingness. "Um, doctors said it was amnesia."

There was a small gasp and she looked pitiful. Kaim realized it was actually pity aimed for him. He set the plate on the desk and turned to her fully. "No. I, uh, have had this feeling, though, that my parents are not of this earth. Living," he corrected himself with a wince. "Not alive."

"Yes, but you must have been so small! Isla was leaning in, hands clasped in front of her. "You must have been scared!"

"I wasn't small?" He had never been small in all of his long life. Kaim wasn't exactly sure where her thought process was going. This mortal was particularly hard to understand, even though he wasn't very good at figuring them out at all yet. She didn't have anyone to compare to in difficulty. _Kings are easier to figure out!_ he thought to himself.

"You can't be more than twenty-five!"

Kaim thought back. What was it that the doctors guessed all those years ago? Sixty years was a long time to think back on, but Kaim's mind always remembered what was said in the important memories. The doctors told him he had a curious case of amnesia and his age. "I'm twenty-eight," he said after a moment.

"So, what, you were eleven? Twelve years old back then?" she guessed. "To be in a strange place with no memories as a young boy must have been terrifying!"

Kaim almost laughed. _That's what she meant by small!_ He was never a child, or at least not in this world. But he couldn't remember anything before waking up here. Nothing remained of his past life. So he shrugged and decided to make up a story. "Well, I stayed in Uhra as a helper to the innkeeper until I was old enough to join the army." A little truth. He did stay at the inn until he became a mercenary.

"Ah, a soldier then?" she was leaning back a little away from him. He didn't understand the frown on her face. Maybe she didn't like Uhra?

"I didn't have much of a choice." This was also partially true. The first thing he wanted to do after waking up and seeking a doctor for his memory loss was to lend his hand in something. That just happened to be a war, and unfortunately he was good at it. It also helped that he would never die permanently on the battlefield. "There was no home for me to go to."

There was the pity again, and he decided he did not like that look on her face. "But I'm away from the army now. I did my years and I just want to explore a little."

She smiled at that. "I like traveling, too."

"Oh?"

"Yes. I am from the south, as you know, and I come up to help during the wheat harvest. My aunt is my father's sister, and I knew she was going to need a lot of help this year. Her letters to my parents told of the hard year she was having with her health. I guess she's gotten sick a few too many times."

Kaim was unsure of what to say. As far back as he could remember, he had never gotten sick. Not even a cold. He had learned that it was almost physically impossible for him to catch anything really, though he had almost died from the heat once. He remembered the pounding headache, nausea, and dry mouth that almost made him succumb to the dark. He was lucky to stumble into Oyora. "I've…well. I don't get sick much," he concluded, lamely.

Isla shrugged. "You're a healthy young man. I wouldn't expect you to." She smiled again and stood up. She reached out her hands, motioning to the empty plate, and Kaim lifted it and the silverware to her.

"Thanks."

"No problem! Though you have to come to me and get lunch," she said with a wink.

Kaim felt the blush rise to his face, and looked away. Isla giggled and made for the door. Kaim, remembering what social manners he could, jumped up and opened the door for her. The rain was still coming down, but not in sheets like before. Isla picked up her umbrella, bowed her head towards Kaim with another beautiful smile, and made her way back to the main house. Kaim watched her go, half making sure she made it safely, while the other half wishing she hadn't left.

"What's going on with you, Argonar?" he asked himself before closing the door.

. . .

The rain left as quickly as it arrived, and left the field a muddy mess the next day. It was slow going, and still a little damp in the air, but Kaim had been through worse. He still managed to get what he normally got done in a day, and managed to help out the other mortals too.

He noticed that Isla was a little more relaxed around him, also. They were talking to each other in a nice, comfortable way. It was still about the weather to start, but Kaim was finding new things to chat and comment on.

Like: why she wore a dress even though it would be easier to just wear pants climbing up and down the hill with the food cart. He was all about practicality, and that was the one thing that was not about her. Well, he could probably think of some more.

"Kaim! You can't ask a lady that!" she teased, slapping his arm. Kaim was almost mortified if it wasn't for the playfulness of her tone. "I may only be nineteen, and that may seem just young and foolish to a twenty-eight year old, but I like dresses! And they are easier for me to move around in! See, I'm practical!"

"I guess. Especially since your dresses don't cover your toes and there's less of a chance of tripping."

"That's just because I think my toes are adorable," she said, and winked at him again. Kaim had to promise himself to get over the flush of heat to his face that automatically happened when she did that. Though he had a sneaking suspicion that was the reason why she did it.

And so until the end of the harvest they slowly got to know each other. On the last day of work, Isla came down with the food cart, this time with her aunt in tow. "Oh! Mr. Argonar!"

Kaim set down his sickle and turned to Isla. She was motioning him over. "My aunt would like to speak with you!"

He bowed when he reached the older woman. She shook her head and laughed low and deep. "Oh, there's no need. No need." She gave him a smile. "My sweet niece has told me that you were in the army?"

"Ah, yes. I was."

The old woman nodded. "Well, it's the last day and I'm sure you're preparing to leave and go where ever you need to go, but I have a proposition for you. You see, my husband was supposed to escort Isla back to her home, but it would seem that he has caught whatever bug I had in these last few weeks. Now of course he isn't as sick as I was, but with all of that traveling it would not do him, or that cold, very well to be out in this soon to be dreadful weather.

"I was wondering, and don't worry I'll compensate you dearly for it, if you could please escort Isla back south? I just worry for her safety out in these parts! There's all sorts of monsters and devilry out there, and I'm sure my brother wouldn't take too kindly to her going by herself."

Kaim bowed again, saying, "I accept. And really, you can keep the money."

The older woman patted his lowered head. He rose up to meet her eyes. "No, you'll need it. It's a few weeks journey to where she's from and I would feel awful if you slept outside in the cold for all of it."

Kaim accepted the offer again, resisting the bow that he had to remind himself was usually used for royalty, and, at the end of the day, headed to his room to pack.

. . .

Kaim felt the thrill of being out on the road again. Walking long distances, eating from a campfire, washing up in a stream; but it felt a little different with another person. _A companion_ , he mused to himself. One thing he noticed was that he had to find little places to have privacy. Things like bathing had to be strategically planned so that they didn't bump into each other. Though the planning bit was a little hard to work out.

Isla didn't seem to notice the growing discomfort or the fact that Kaim jumped when she wandered in on whatever he was doing. He thanked whatever godly presence that was looking out for them that she hadn't walked in on him doing anything truly embarrassing. By the fourth day he decided to talk to her about it.

"Isla."

"Mr. Argonar! What would you like for breakfast?" She turned around and Kaim must have had a more serious face on because she tucked her hands behind her back and looked bashful. "Is this about this morning? I swear I didn't see anything!"

 _That was because I heard you stomping on the branches and I dived into the water so quickly_ , Kaim thought, though he too couldn't exactly meet her eyes. "Well, we need to…talk about that."

"Yeah, I'm sorry." Isla looked up at Kaim and gave him a smile.

 _She must like smiling a lot_ , Kaim observed, but he didn't mind it either. It lifted his mood greatly, despite the lingering embarrassment of almost being caught in the nude.

"How about we don't do any type of bathing until we are both up? That way we can warn each other when we are going to the stream," she suggested.

"Okay, and I think that'll work for any other private matters—" he started, but she interrupted.

"Also! That means no peeking!" She was holding up an accusatory spatula so very close to his nose so suddenly, he almost took a leap back. "I may be old enough to consent to that kind of thing, but I'm not looking for it!"

"I…I would! _Not_! I would _not_!" Kaim held up his hands. Could she really think he would be that low? He wasn't some dirty voyeur. He could never see himself committing such an abhorred crime. Kaim suddenly couldn't breathe. Is that what Isla thought of him, really? He was going to have to somehow prove he wouldn't look when she did anything now, and he was having trouble thinking of ways to do it. Of the situations he'd have to force himself into to make sure she knew he was of the highest of honest men. He wracked his mind, his heart racing. Anxiety was closing around his throat—

"I'm kidding!" Isla laughed. Kaim sighed. "Oh, your face!"

"I'm glad to see you so amused." Kaim took the spatula from her hands, and she cried out in protest. "Why don't you go now? It's my turn to cook anyway."

In just half a day they would reach their first village, Kisa, on the edge of the Ipsilon Mountains. From there it would be a few more villages and then they would be at her home on the beach. Kaim wondered if he could survive this ordeal.

. . .

They stayed in Kisa for two days and were off again. The journey did not lead them through the mountains, thankfully, but rather around them. Kaim found that even on the main road there were still beasts to be wary about, especially on this second half of the journey. _Just how was that farmer supposed to protect anyone by himself?_

Isla answered that question for him over their dinner. "My uncle would have had a caravan, and he's surprisingly good with a rifle! He's made the journey many times and knows exactly where to hit any monsters that came by!"

Kaim knew some tricks. Never leave the fire burning, sleep off the ground if you cannot get the fire's light all the way out, and always relieve yourself close to the campsite. It was a little weird explaining that last one to Isla, but instead of being grossed out by it, she thought it made a lot of sense. "Beasts don't like the marked territory," she had said.

Kaim didn't think he had ever met a girl like Isla. Most of his interactions with women were of married women who wouldn't give him a second look, or at least never acted on anything. Any of the girls more his age, or rather his mortal _looking_ age, would have been scared off by his serious face alone. Not Isla, though. She was always teasing him and telling him to lighten up. She was endlessly energetic; Kaim wondered if that was to a fault, or maybe because she was almost a decade younger than him— _more like forty years_ , he thought with a sigh. It was a weird thing to think about. Physically he was only nine or so years older, but he felt ancient in thought. He had to often push away the little affection he found himself wanting to display because he couldn't think of displaying anything to a nineteen year old. It felt wrong. That and he had never found himself in this kind of position before. He had heard tales of soldiers leaving lovers behind, but he always thought those kinds of emotions could only happen to mortals. Then Isla happened, and he almost felt like a lost puppy ready for adoration. He honestly couldn't think of any other words to describe it. It was such an new feeling, but one that left him with a dark pit in his chest.

He found himself asking why he would need to fall in love with anyone when they were ultimately going to die first? No matter how long they live, they would always grow withered and pass on before him. It left him with a bitter taste in his mouth.

Kaim did find that he valued talking to her. Even when he couldn't form the right words, or got awkward over anything, Isla seemed to brush over it like it was a normal way to behave. However, this didn't help his conflicting thoughts, and sometimes had him avoiding her and her sometimes flirty behavior.

Despite this development, he was learning a lot about how to interact with people. This was the first time he had really made any kind of connection with a mortal, that wasn't formed on a battlefield.

What he wasn't expecting was this fierce force of protectiveness. He was constantly on guard, sword resting on his hip but palm always right above it. Any time she stumbled, he was right at her elbow to steady her. He would take the lead if they had tall grass and part it for her. Most of him pondered why he was consciously doing all of this. He was back and forth on whether his relationship with Isla was helping or hindering his social development. Why make this effort for someone? Was it because he had never traveled with a lady? Did he feel the need to protect her because she wasn't weapon trained? Or was it still her impractical dress and sandal choice of attire? _Or is it because every time she smiles and laughs, I'm falling more in love with her?_ Kaim asked himself. He sighed. Maybe this wasn't love, how would he really know anyway? Love was for people who had time for it, and even if Kaim's was unlimited, he felt that he didn't deserve it.

On the third week of their traveling, with just only a little more than a week left to go, they came across their first monster. It looked like a lion, but was definitely not one. Its blue mane carried itself halfway down its body and seemed to wave all by itself. Kaim wondered if that was just it being frightened by them or if its hair did that all the time? Maybe that's how the monster sensed oncoming prey. Its eyes were a fierce yellow, and they did not dim at all. As it got closer to them—low to the ground, almost a prowling like stalking—Kaim could see that the color of its fur shifted, and if they weren't careful it might be able to camouflage with its surroundings.

It gave off a roar, and Isla squeaked and hid behind him. It wasn't that big, but after Kaim cut it down, Isla made a fuss. She claimed it was the biggest monster she had ever seen and was so very happy that she had her own personal bodyguard. "I swear Mr. Argonar, my uncle never got so close to a monster like this!"

Kaim rolled his eyes. Isla laughed. "Come on. It'll be late afternoon soon, and we'll want to make sure we find a better place than this for the night."

Isla followed close beside him. He didn't think she had ever been this close before, only a finger's length between them. She smelled wonderfully, despite this long stretch between villages and only having a stream to bathe in, and Kaim wondered briefly if she was hiding soaps in her little bag she wound around her shoulder. He was this close to her and could see that she had a tiny scar on her chin that he hadn't noticed before. He almost asked her about it, but heard her gasp.

He wasn't paying attention to the trail ahead of them. Not too far in the distance awaited a larger version of the monster he had just slain. It was three times as big, and its jaw looked like it could easily fit the two of them in at the same time. Kaim jumped when Isla reached for his hand with both of hers. She was griping it very tightly, and when he looked over, he could see just how pale she had gotten. "Don't worry. No sudden movements. Stay behind me." She nodded nervously, and followed his instructions exactly.

Kaim looked around for anything they might do to get away, but it was a pretty flat land around them, the only trees were three kilometers to the left of them. The monster was eyeing them, but not getting any closer just yet. Kaim figured they might be able to run for it, but would they make it all the way to the trees? Would Isla be able to make it running in sandals? She seemed to be following Kaim's eye, and squeezed her hands tighter when she realized where they would be escaping to. "Isla. We're going to run. Take off those sandals—slowly. Slowly. Don't look back, okay? On the count of three." He nodded at her and she jerked her head up and down, clutching her sandals close to her with one hand and the other holding onto his hand. With his free hand on the hilt of his sword and eyes back on the lion monster, he whispered, "one, two, three!"

They caught the lion off guard but it only gave them a second's head start. Kaim could only hear their feet pounding on the earth at first, but the vibration that the monster created let him know that it was catching up to them fast. Kaim pulled Isla along, but when he heard the roar so close, he knew he was going to have to defend. "Get down!" He pushed her ahead of him, and whipped out his sword.

He was too late for the first and second blows, but he was able to deflect the mouth away from him. Kaim could feel the wetness on the front of his shirt, but had no time to assess the damage. He was still on his own two feet and that was just going to have to be enough for now. The monster charged again, and Kaim sliced up to the bone on one of his front legs. The monster cried out, Kaim's ears splitting, and whipped around. The lion was different than the smaller one in that his tail seemed to have some spikes on the end of it. When the monster turned, Kaim wasn't expecting the sharp tail, and yelled out when it tore at his left side.

He knew there wasn't much of him after that, and now he couldn't breathe right. He felt like coughing up liquid and that was never a good sign. He took his blade in two hands and charged at the monster. This would have to be the last strike. With all the energy he could muster, he shoved his sword into the beast's ribs. He had to really push in after the initial contact, but he knew he hit the right spot when the monster fell right down, dead.

Kaim held down on his chest the best he could as he stumbled the last few feet to the woods. The pain was numbing, and his body cold and convulsing, but he knew it was only because he had lost so much blood and his life was giving up. Isla was at his side as soon as he fell down in the soft grass. Tears were running down her cheeks and he knew he must not look that good.

"Isla."

As Kaim felt the stillness in his body succumbing to his wounds, his only regret was that he couldn't spare Isla the sadness of his death. "Don't. I'm…okay," he managed to get out.

"You're not!" Isla said through her tears. She looked panicked. He knew they were too far away from any civilization to get help, and she had no skill in first aid or magic. Kaim coughed, and he was sure blood came out with it with the way Isla's eyes grew. He didn't know they could get any larger, and he almost laughed at the thought. If only he wasn't so tired. "You're dying," she whispered.

Kaim touched her cheek, hand falling just as quickly as it came up. "I'll come back," he weakly said.

Isla looked confused, eyes racing down his mangled body. "I don't think so—I don't understand. Kaim! Please, no, Kaim!" She touched his face and his eyes were drawn to her tears. He barely could notice that she hadn't called him Mr. Argonar. "Don't leave me alone."

He closed his eyes, his temporarily last breath leaving him.

.

When the darkness cleared and his senses burst back into life, Kaim opened his eyes, and shut them again quickly as it was still just a little too bright. He was able to see that the sun was getting closer to the horizon, but it wasn't across it just yet. That was good. This gave them time to set up camp and get dinner going. He would just have to get Isla and—

That's when he heard the crying. He made sure his breathing wasn't heard, and that he lay still before opening one eye. She wasn't facing him, her head was tucked into her hands, but it didn't look like she had moved from her spot next to him. He was out for a good hour, was she really grieving that long? She must not have seen his wounds stitch themselves up. Her crying and shaking made his heart ache. He had the sudden urge to touch her and try to soothe the pain she must have felt. When he shifted an arm, she looked down at him.

The shriek she let out could have made him deaf. "Isla?"

"This isn't happening!" Her eyes were wild, and her face blanched white. Isla scooted away from him as if he were fire, ready to consume her. She pointed with one hand, the other drawing her legs to the side of her. "You! Dead! You _died_!"

Kaim moved slowly. He could count on one hand how many people he had come back to life in front of. So far this was going exactly like the others had, and soon he wouldn't be surprised if she ran right into the woods. He had to make sure that didn't happen, less another beast wait around the corner ready to strike. He sat up, hands in the air, but didn't make a move towards her. Instead, he just stared with what he hoped was a guilty expression.

Isla didn't put her finger away. She breathed in and out, Kaim heard it come and go in a rhythm that was calming her down. It took her a minute, but she slowly lowered her arm. She didn't look to be wanting to get any closer, and he wasn't sure if it was wise to move in case she bolted.

He sat there with arms raised for a good five minutes.

Finally, "you weren't joking then." Kaim tilted his head, leading her to continue. "You said you'd come back."

He shifted forward, and she scooted back more. Kaim lowered his arms, they were starting to ache, and decided to keep still and quiet. There was an awkward silence. Isla stared straight at him, color starting to come back to her cheeks, but Kaim had to look away after a moment. He was starting to feel guilty. Just when he thought he had made a friend, he had to die and ruin it.

Without hearing a sound, he felt her finger poke at his cheek. He jumped a little, and found that she was so very close to him. Her face was focused and intense, Kaim could smell that beautiful soap she washed with. "Amazing," she whispered.

It started off with a tickle in his belly, then he started to shake a little, and finally let out a choked sound. He laughed and laughed until tears streamed out of his eyes and down his cheeks. "Is this what happens when you die and then magically come back to life? You die again of giggles?"

Isla wasn't smiling, so Kaim wiped away his tears and sat up straight again. "I'm sorry. I thought I was the weird one."

"Weird one?" Isla punched his arm. Kaim rubbed the sore spot, knowing he deserved that hit. " _Weird one_?" She hit him again harder, and he dodged the third one that came after. "I am most definitely not the weird _one_!"

"I'm sorry."

Isla crossed her arms. "Let's get going. I don't think I'm ready for your explanation yet."

Isla stood up, stumbling a little. Sitting on the hard ground with legs tucked underneath her made for a wobbly walk. Kaim held out an arm to catch her, and despite her shock and actions towards him, she allowed the small touch. As they crossed deeper into the trees, she took one last look over him. "And please. Change. I'm sure that blood soaked shirt will attract everything in this forest."

Well, she was right about that.


	16. Time Spent with Kaim and Lirum

Lirum was two and a little over six months old when a devastating sickness ran through Tosca. Kaim could see Sarah out at their gate, sadly looking down the path to the little village. It was too much of a risk to set foot into Tosca with Lirum as small as she was. If she caught whatever was ravaging the people, there could be a chance that she wouldn't survive it. As much as it worried the two immortals of the fate of their most favorite village, they didn't want to give that sickness a chance with their daughter.

Kaim peeked his head around the corner to where Lirum slept on their small chaise in the living room. Her body skewed, and limbs tossed about in a way that reminded Kaim of her mother. He laughed as he gently pulled open the front door. Sarah didn't even turn around, hands just clasping around their gate as if they were prison bars.

"I can't bear it."

Kaim hummed in agreement, setting a hand onto her shoulder. "Tosca has done so much for us," she continued, "and we're stuck behind this barrier until we get the all clear."

"We have to think of Lirum."

"I know," she relinquished with a sigh. She stood facing the path for another moment and then turned towards him. She leaned her back against the gate. She didn't look Kaim in the eyes, but he knew she was scheming something with the way she was biting her lip. "But I was thinking."

"Sarah."

"Just hear me out!" Sarah looked up at him with wide eyes, a slight dip to her lips that wasn't quite a pout. Kaim couldn't resist that particular look and couldn't avoid this discussion as he knew it wasn't going to be something that she could easily drop. He sighed and relented with a nod. "We've only maybe four months of supplies left to feed the three of us. This sickness could last longer! If I went down to help we might be able to find a cure faster."

"And what if you can't?"

"Well, we'd be stuck anyway." Sarah sighed. "I understand the lockdown we've created for ourselves, but I haven't heard a positive word from the people down there in three weeks. It's like they're at a standstill. Meanwhile more and more people are getting sick and some are probably starting to die."

"We've told ourselves that we won't interfere in mortals lives while Lirum is still so young."

"I know, but what happens when _we_ run out of food? There's only so much we can ration, and unfortunately, I was too busy to plant food this past spring. We can't last on carrots for long."

"We can make it last, though."

"Lirum won't, the stubborn little thing." Sarah offered a small smile. "She can't stand the taste and I know you hate to see her cry."

Kaim knew he had a soft spot and probably spoiled his daughter just a little, but he couldn't agree to her suggestion. He opened his mouth to speak—

"And don't you say she'll learn how to eat them, because that means she'll have to go hungry first and I won't allow that. We're not so rugged as you, Kaim."

—and closed it just as quickly. He wouldn't allow Lirum to taste hunger. None of his children ever went without food, even when he did, and it would never be the time to start. He closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. Sarah was very convincing at times, and especially when life started to look grim. Her sometimes wild ideas are always what worked in the end, he had to admit. He had gone through the stock of food they had, and it was starting to get uncomfortably thin. Tosca was not getting better, and unless he wanted to plunge into the sea, try to swim to Saman, possibly get lost along the way, and have to find a way back up the mountain and home with a pack of supplies, and without going through Tosca, they were not going to get any more food or other necessities.

He promised Lirum she'd never be without and even if she was too young to understand a struggle, he didn't want to chance that experience for her. "I'll go."

"And do what?" He knew that suggestion wasn't going to work, thought felt the need to try. He winced at her higher pitched tone. "You're good with a sword, but I'm definitely better at curing and have more medical knowledge."

"I really don't want you to go."

"I know," she said softly.

"What if you catch it too?"

"We're immortal." It always came back to that point. That was how she won their discussions, by reminding him of their unendingness. "And I'll be sure to be careful. I've gone on healing expeditions before."

"I know," Kaim acknowledged with a frown. He thought back to his own fever he caught years ago and couldn't help the feeling of a coil growing taught in his gut. He didn't want Sarah to have a chance to go through what he did, but what other choices did they have? They promised not to meddle in mortal affairs, and yet if they didn't, they could suffer consequences the little family of three couldn't afford. He thought back to Lirum, his small and currently healthy daughter, and despaired at the thought of her being hungry.

There was some silence after the last words were said. Kaim knew the answer would only have to be to let her go. He rolled his shoulders as Sarah waited patiently. She didn't need his permission, she never did, but they needed to agree on something. "You'll have to leave when Lirum is asleep. She hates to see you go."

"In the early morning then," Sarah settled.

. . .

Kaim woke up when Sarah gently nudged his shoulder. She was packed in a heavy rain cloak. She put a finger to her lips and pointed down. He turned to see Lirum snuggled in beside him. "Storm?" he whispered. He had slept through another one.

Sarah nodded. "I'm going to leave now while the thunder is rolling away."

Kaim carefully pulled himself up from the mattress, quickly replacing his body with a pillow. There were a few seconds of stillness as they watched Lirum press her face into the soft thing before finally resettling. Kaim walked Sarah down the steps and to the door. It was nearing three in the morning, and Sarah was going to go straight away to the Toscan inn, and settle herself there. He adjusted the hood of her cloak, pulling the string a little tighter. He began to check off. "You've got your staff, medic documentation, notes, and paper?"

"Yes, yes, yes and yes." Sarah pulled her pack higher onto her back, her staff strapped into one of the loops. "I'm set and secured."

Kaim brushed a thumb across her cheek. Already missing being wrapped up with her in bed. "You have our love."

"I wouldn't leave without it."

Sarah leaned up and gave him a quick kiss to his lips. With a sigh, he pulled open the door. At the gate she gave him one last wave, and then she was gone too quickly.

. . .

Kaim was rudely awaken to a series of light smacks to his face. The light was pouring in from his bedroom, the rolling storms passed on swiftly enough, and the sun burning the last of the dark clouds. He looked over to the annoyed face of his daughter. "Lirum, you can't hit daddy. What do you say?"

"Mommy."

"No." Kaim sat up. Lirum crossed her arms and he almost laughed at her pout she was trying to pull on him. A millennium of fatherhood knowledge let him know that he couldn't let her see that humor or else all would be lost. "What do you say to daddy for hitting him?"

There was a grimace, but then her eyes casted downwards as she said, "sorry."

He picked her up and swung her onto his lap. She laughed, Kaim guessing that she momentarily forgot her ire, so he tickled her sides to make sure she didn't remember altogether. "Breakfast?"

"Eggs!"

Kaim thanked whoever was listening in the heavens above that they had invested in getting their own chickens as this was Lirum's go to breakfast whenever he or Sarah asked. He followed her into her bedroom where she picked her own outfit of shorts and a long-sleeved sweater, and Kaim helped her pull on her socks. As they reached the steps to go down, he held out his hand. With a giggle, Lirum linked hers in his. As they did whenever it was Kaim who helped her down the stairs, they hopped down the steps one by one. He already missed Sarah's sigh of disappointment at the silly behavior. He didn't let it linger. Lirum was good at catching moods.

Luckily, she was distracted enough that she didn't notice the absence of her mother downstairs. Not right away, anyway.

In the mudroom, they pulled on their boots. "It got rainy?"

"It did. Remember last night? The thunder?"

"I no like thunder." Lirum stuck out her tongue and Kaim laughed as he slid the boot onto her last leg. "It is too loud!"

"You do not like thunder?" Kaim asked with a gasp. Lirum giggled at his overdramatic sounds. "That's why I had a visitor last night!" Kaim helped the young girl up. She looked up at him with a smile. "I thought you said you were too big to sleep with mommy and daddy?"

"Never!" Lirum ran out in front of him, pulling open the door leading to the backyard of their home, and—doing what any child would do when wearing boots—jumped into the first mud puddle she found.

Kaim took the wicker basket that hung on a nail by the door and walked next to his daughter as she stomped her way to their chicken coop. Lirum's favorite part of the morning was getting the eggs, so as she got closer, the less stomping she made. She shushed her father, making him snort a little, as he pulled open the creaky gate.

The routine was that Lirum would collect the eggs from under the chickens. Sarah was very good at showing her how to "sweet talk" the chickens to get them to move from their spots. It wasn't necessary at all to talk to the chickens as they do the same thing no matter what is said or not said to them; but they had to make this job entertaining for the child. Kaim allowed Lirum to show him exactly what to do.

"You have to tell them pretty things," Lirum said, for what Kaim was sure was his dozenth time hearing this lesson. He nodded stoically anyway, listening intently to her words. Just another morning in the chicken coop. "Like: Miss Button, oh my how nice you look!"

That was a new one. Kaim chuckled. Lirum mimicked Sarah so perfectly, he could practically see his wife pushing her glasses up on her nose with her lesson finger in the air. "Who taught you that compliment?" Kaim smiled at the tilt of her head and reworded his question. "Who taught you those pretty words, that compliment?"

"Oh! Mommy. She told me that…complatint?" Kaim repeated the word, and Lirum tested it out again, "comp-le-mint!" She turned her head and patted Miss Button on her head. Then she looked up at Kaim expectantly.

"Sorry." He gently lifted the chicken up and Lirum collected the eggs underneath.

They did this for each of the four chickens they had, compliments then the taking of the eggs, and Lirum very carefully carried the basket back to the mansion.

Kaim was fortunate enough that Lirum didn't ask where Sarah had gone until after they had eaten breakfast, and the next set of storm clouds rolled through. As he checked the front door for any messages on the gate, the first drops of rain hit the top of his head, and moments after he closed the front door, the water broke free from the sky with heavy drops. Lirum watched the outside darkened through the window, eyes large and looking. Kaim knew that if the thunder rolled back in there would be some trouble. Sarah was infinity better at singing Lirum down from her terror.

"Where is mommy?"

"Out." Kaim was looking through their bookshelf for a book he knew Lirum would like to hear but paused when he heard her question. He hoped she wouldn't be too upset that Sarah wasn't going to be returning soon. "Mommy went to go help the people in Tosca," he added.

"The sick people?"

Kaim nodded. He waited to see if she had any other questions, but she just turned her head to watch more rain fall to the earth. Kaim picked out a few books and sat on the couch. Lirum climbed into his lap a moment later, laughing at the first book he held up.

. . .

Kaim forgot what it was like to entertain a toddler all day. Usually there was a schedule between the two parents, and they would get some down time to take a quick nap or get anything else done around the house. But now that Sarah was gone, it was all Kaim. In between making sure Lirum wasn't getting into anything, he was prepping meals, cleaning, and getting the house ready for the colder months.

He hadn't been a single father in centuries.

He had forgotten how exhausted he would feel at the end of the day.

And it was only day one.

He rubbed his eyes and looked at the clock. It was nearing nine-thirty and he felt like he didn't get anything meaningful done today. He walked down the steps and pulled open the front door. The rain had left leaving a note attached to the gate.

 _Kaim,_

 _It's bad down here. I'm almost surprised not everyone has caught this sickness. Those few that have not caught it, I have sent them to Saman in search of more information. Hopefully now that I'm here, they can better search for answers._

 _I hope your day was fun! I also hope the rain passed with no more thunder up there. We both know how hard it is to get Lirum to calm down from the sounds._

 _I will try to be home as soon as this is over._

 _Send Lirum my love,_

 _Sarah_

. . .

The month dragged on, but Lirum was enjoying the change that autumn brought and Kaim was happy for the distraction from the absence of Sarah. Lirum was taking Sarah not being home very well, and he was a little surprised. He was sure that by now Lirum would be watching out for Sarah any moment she could, but the two-year-old was content just being around Kaim all day. The season brought about the leaves turning from green to red-violet, yellow, and orange; Lirum enamored with the change.

Kaim and Lirum spent the cool days outside watching the change and today ventured out to the cliffs after lunch. Sarah's barrier was still in full force, but Kaim always held Lirum's hand when they got towards the edge of the rocky cliff. The sea crashed against the rocks in a swift motion. "It's a loooong way down!"

"It is." Kaim held onto her hand tightly as she leaned her head out until it bumped the vibrating wall in front of them. She giggled and smoothed her hair back into place. "This was the place that me and your mother met."

"You found mama here?" Lirum looked up curious.

Kaim wasn't going to tell her the full details on their horrific first day of their meeting—he's sure Lirum wouldn't want to hear about her mother falling to her death off the high cliffs of this place—but he would tell an abridged story. "You know how mommy likes to read all the time?" A flurry of nods let him know that their daughter had noticed Sarah's study habits. "Well, she dropped books from all the way up here." And then they walked to the other side of the cliff that dropped down three hundred meters to the edges of the mountain. Down there was the old path that led to Sarah's harbor, but that boat had sunk decades ago. It wasn't used much now-a-days. "And they landed down there. I helped her pick them up."

"That's a loooong way down!" Lirum looked up. "Was mama sad they were broked?"

"She was very sad that her books were broke, yes." Kaim led his daughter away from the cliff and back down the path towards their home. "But she found other copies and fixed what she could."

"Because she's a fixer!"

Kaim smiled fondly. Sarah was a fixer, and he was missing her terribly. This month-long separation was the longest they'd been away from each other in three years. The absence of his wife was cold and harsh and tore his spirit in two. On top of that he felt a little antsy as he always did when she was not safe in Tosca or safe by his side.

And at night it was worse for the moments he was awake and aware that his wife wasn't next to him. Usually when Sarah was away, he could hardly sleep. Luckily for him, this time around he had someone else that needed ten times more of his energy to keep engaged. He had noticed his anxiety induced insomnia was less apparent with Lirum to keep him company and wear him out, though he still missed and longed for his immortal companion. He briefly wondered how she was handling the sickness in Tosca as he and Lirum reached the back of their home.

.

Later that afternoon, Kaim was adding logs to their firepit. It was a little warmer, and there looked to be no rain coming, so he decided that he could cook dinner outside tonight. With one eye on his daughter, who was petting a stray cat that visited the house sometimes, he lit the fire.

It flickered into life, and Kaim enjoyed the heat radiating from it. The supplies for their dinner were right next to the door, and with Lirum busy playing with the cat, he thought it would be safe to turn around for just a few moments.

He was wrong. In just the few steps it took to reach the basket and pan for dinner, the cat ran away from the little girl. Just as Kaim had turned around to wonder why the cat had run past him, Lirum was reaching for the fire, curiosity lit on her face. Kaim's heart dropped to his stomach as he yelled out, "Lirum!"

His voice must have jolted her because she got too close to the flame and cried out. Kaim dropped everything to run towards her. He tried to hold her arm still to inspect the burn. Big tears were streaming down her face and she was twisting and turning to jerk her arm away. "Stop."

"Mommy!" she wailed and thrashed a little harder. "I-I want mommy!"

Kaim told her to sit down, but she refused, still trying to get away from him. "I can't do anything about this until you sit down!" He was losing his calm, and he knew Lirum could feel it making matters worse. He hardly ever lost his cool with his daughter, but she had a knack for knowing when he was irritated, and it brought out her flight and hide instinct. Kaim held on tight as she began to push him away from her. "Lirum."

"It hurts!"

"I know, you need to sit down."

"But it hurts!"

"Sit down, Lirum."

"But—!"

"I said, _sit down_!" Kaim chose his meanest face, and with that deep command, his daughter dropped to her knees. Kaim sighed and lifted her arm again. It wasn't a bad burn, leaving only a small red mark on her palm and thumb. He gently placed a hand over it and took in a deep breath. He can only use one spell, and it was ten times weaker than Sarah's zephyr, but it did the job. Lirum's hiccups subsided the longer they kept still. When he lifted his hand, the mark was still there, but Lirum could move her fingers without pain. "Are you okay?"

More sniffles and a nod.

Kaim stood up and lifted her into a hug, and she tucked her face into the crook of his neck. He rubbed a soothing hand on her back and swayed from side to side. Soon enough she was trying to make her way back down to the ground. "I'm sorry I yelled at you."

"It's okay. Mommy yells sometimes too," she said, with a small smile.

"Do you want to help with dinner?"

"No more fire?"

"I will handle the fire." Kaim smiled down at her and she nodded in return.

.

Kaim leaned against the house, Lirum tugging on his hair as she sat in his lap. She was trying her best to braid, but her hands were still a bit uncoordinated, so it was just tying into a knot. Kaim did not mind, and when he had a moment he caught her hand in his. In the firelight he could see that the burn mark hard almost faded away completely. He used the last of his magical energy to sooth the spot once more and found that Lirum was nodding off soon after. "Hey, you need a bath."

"No."

"Yes. You smell like a campfire." With a chuckle to the pout on her face, Kaim lifted her up and doused the last of the dying embers with water from a pail before turning into the house.

He carried the sleepy Lirum to one of the downstairs bathrooms and filled the tub with cold water. Without Sarah here, their magic hot water tank had cooled, but luckily his smart wife created little balls of hot energy that melted into the water and warmed it up nicely. Kaim thanked her in his head for the invention she created years and years ago as he added a little bit of soap to the water. He pulled off Lirum's clothes, and the girl stomped her way over to the tub. "Hmph."

"Get on in," Kaim said with a tap to her back. She giggled and pulled herself into the tub, making sure to splash him along the way. "I deserve that," he said with a sigh, only making his daughter laugh more.

He scrubbed her of the sweat of the day and the rinsed her hair of the smell of smoke. While she was distracted by the suds in the tub, he quickly braided her wet hair. He knew her hair would be a mess in the morning if he didn't. By the time he was done towel drying her off she was sleeping standing up. He was happy for the fightless night as he carried her to her bedroom. After making sure she was tucked in and into a deep sleep, Kaim left her room, leaving the door cracked just a little.

"I should take a bath too," he murmured to himself as he sniffed the inside of his shirt. He made his way back to the bathroom, grabbing a towel along the way.

With three heating spheres in the tub, he sank into the water, allowing it to lap up over his head, before breaking the surface again. He let his body relax into the warm tub, letting his head rest against the back rim of the tub. Before he knew it, he was waking up. The bath water long grew cold.

 _How long was I out?_ Kaim looked at the clock in the corner and laughed to himself. Three hours.

He wet his hair again, quickly washed it and hopped out of the cold water. Making sure he was all dried off so that the cold night air wouldn't make him even colder, he pulled on a robe and made his way out of the room. He carefully creaked down the stairs and unlocked the front door. He looked out and there was another note on the gate.

Sarah's writing was rushed, but that always signaled a good thing. He smiled as he read: _The cure is at hand just need to administer to everyone. Be home soon. Sarah._

. . .

Kaim was reorganizing the woodpile outside. It had been two weeks since the last letter, but he knew Sarah was going to be home soon. To get everyone cured would take a little while and then she would want to make sure it was safe for everyone to return home; and that there was enough of the medicine to last them through the winter season in case there was another, hopefully smaller, outbreak. He guessed it would be another week or so, and he couldn't just sit around and wait for her either. The winters always came early in these mountains and being this far up north it was likely to start snowing any time this coming month.

Lirum was dressed in two very heavy sweaters and sat on one large log with a pencil and paper. She was drawing something but was being very secretive about it whenever Kaim asked. He was amused by her secrecy and played along.

Suddenly, she asked, "Papa, when's your birthday?"

"Hmm?" Kaim placed the last of the wood on the pile and pulled his axe from the wall of the woodhouse.

"When is your birthday?"

"Well." Kaim thought. Had he ever celebrated a birthday? Wedding anniversaries, yes, and any other family's birthday's yes, but he never celebrated his own. He couldn't even think about when he would place his birthday. It's been a long life. "I don't know, Lirum."

"You no not know when your birthday is?" Lirum sounded so shocked that Kaim ate the grin that wanted to break out on his face. "And mama?"

"Ah." Kaim thought back. He didn't know if Sarah celebrated her birthday, and if she did she never told him about it. "I don't know."

"Papa." Lirum set her pencil and paper down and stood up with one hand on her hip. He couldn't help the laugh that came out when she pushed pretend glasses up her nose. She was Sarah's daughter alright. "We have a party for me!"

"That's because your birthday is in the spring."

"And yours?"

"I don't know."

"Why?"

"Because I've lived a long time and I've forgotten."

"Why?"

"Why have I lived a long time?" Kaim watched as his daughter nodded. He set the axe on one shoulder and shrugged with the other. "I'm not too sure myself. That's just the way it is."

Lirum stomped her foot. Kaim raised an eyebrow. "Well, you will have a birthday!"

"I will?"

"Yes! Mommy too!"

Lirum sat back down and turned her paper over. She began to write furiously, and when Kaim looked down he laughed again at the squiggles and scratches she was setting to the paper. She covered it up when she heard his laugh and saw him looking. "Don't look!"

"Okay, okay."

As Kaim drug out old fallen trees from outside the gate to the back yard, Lirum sat and concentrated on her illegible writing. By the time he was finished cutting enough wood for the winter months that were soon to come, Lirum was back at his side again with the paper. He gently took the writing and little drawing from her hand and tried to decipher it. "Is this a recipe?"

Lirum nodded with a big smile on her face. "I need your help!"

. . .

Two days later Kaim received the last letter informing him that Sarah would be home the next day. Two months was a long time and he thought to himself that he'd rather not do that again.

. . .

Sarah breathed in a sigh of relief that her home was not burned to the ground. She knew Kaim wouldn't let anything happen to it or its occupants, but a mother did have her worries. She touched the cold gate in front of her and lingered for a moment. Happy to be home, and happy to rest. She took in a deep breath and pushed open the bars.

The front foyer was still and quiet and Sarah wondered just where her husband and daughter could have wandered off to. _I almost would have thought that Lirum would be at the window waiting for me to come. Unless Kaim didn't tell her. I know he got the last message because it wasn't on the gate…_

Sarah walked up the stairs into the bedroom she shared with Kaim. She set her things on their bed, and looked into their bathroom and in the closet. No one there. No one in Lirum's room. No one in the study or library. She walked down the stairs and checked the living room and den. She quickened her pace to the kitchen, and it too was spotless. "Where could they be?"

She noticed the door leading to the mudroom was ajar, so she ventured her way in there. It was just a little bit warmer today, so there could be a chance they were out back.

When she opened the back door, she was greeted to a very happy Lirum. "Happy birthday, mama!"

There was a fire, a makeshift log table, and two banners. One banner was written out nice and neatly _: Happy Birthday!_ and the second one in more squiggly lettering: _Welcome Home!_ She could easily guess which one Kaim made and which one Lirum insisted on helping with.

Sarah could feel the tears running down her face. She turned to see her husband with a little smile just for her. In a few paces he was wrapping her in a very tight hug. "Welcome home, my dearest."

"I'm so happy to be home!" Sarah held on for as long as she could, but soon there was a small child worming her way in-between them. With a laugh, Sarah scooped up her daughter and left a big kiss on her cheek. "And you did this for me?"

"Yep!" Lirum exclaimed with a giggle.

"And it's my birthday?"

"It's yours and daddy's birthday!" Sarah set Lirum on the ground and the girl was tugging on her trousers for her to follow. "I made you this! Daddy helped." It was a beautiful little drawing of the three of them with Kaim's patient writing underneath. "It's you, me, and daddy!"

Sarah was pulled over to the log table. "And I made you this!" She presented, with as much flourish a three-year-old could muster, a cake with crudely drawn picture of a smiling face on it with the number one underneath. "It's your first birthday! Daddy's too!"

Sarah lifted an eyebrow up to Kaim. He shrugged. "It's been a weird few days."

"Daddy helped with the fire today." Sarah watched as Lirum's eyes grew big, and she scrambled to pull up her sleeve. "I got a burn mommy!"

Sarah immediately furrowed her brow and looked up at Kaim. She watched as her husband rolled his eyes. "It wasn't bad. I took care of it," he said before she could think to ask.

"Are you okay?"

"Yep! Papa's a fixer too!" The little girl lifted her hand, and Sarah inspected it. She couldn't even see any marks, so the burn really must not have been bad at all.

"I'll explain later," Kaim said reassuringly.

"Yeah! Let's eat!"

. . .

Sarah followed Kaim up the stairs and watched as he set the sleeping Lirum into her bed. Sarah walked over after he made sure she was snug into the blankets and laid a gentle kiss to her forehead. Lirum hummed in her sleep but didn't stir.

As soon as Sarah freshened up and pulled on her nightdress, she climbed into bed next to Kaim. Kaim wrapped her into the closest and tightest cuddle she had received in a long time, intertwining limbs until she could hardly tell where she began, and he ended. She laughed as he pulled off her glasses and laid them on the pillow behind her. He silenced her mirth with a long kiss, Sarah sighing after they let go. "I've missed you so much."

"It's been so cold without you here." Kaim ran his hand through the ends of her hair.

"Even though I usually bring in the cold with my toes?" Sarah teased. Kaim just answered with another, though shorter, kiss. "Lirum didn't sneak into bed with you at all?"

"Only two times."

"I'm surprised!"

"I tried to tire her out as much as I could. It kept us both distracted."

"Sorry."

Kaim shook his head. "You had to do what you had to do."

Sarah hummed and planted her head on Kaim's chest. It calmed her down when she could hear and feel his heartbeat. "It was pretty devastating down there."

"Was it?"

"Mmhm. I'm glad I went down when I did. Tosca wouldn't have survived the winter. So many people succumbed." Sarah frowned. She guessed Kaim could feel it, as his hand was rubbing her back soothingly. She continued, "luckily no children perished."

"Was it hard on them?"

A nod. "It was a bad virus that attacked their senses and left a few with hearing and vision loss. It was bleak for anyone who was older. It attacked the elderly far worse for reasons unknown. Not everyone survived."

"I'm sorry."

"With me there it was a less painful death." Sarah could feel herself sag into the mattress. It was unfortunate that so many people she had known for years would just waste away that quickly. "It was still hard."

Kaim kissed her temple and she leaned into his chest once more. She didn't have the energy to grieve right now but knew in the coming days she'd let it out. She was just so happy to be home next to her husband, with her child safely in the next room.

Thinking of Lirum. "What happened with the fire?"

Kaim sighed. "She got a little too close and burned her hand. I healed it with magic."

"Are you okay?" Sarah peeked up to see him nod. "I know it's not easy for you to procure magic."

"I only used a little. Besides it was not a bad burn at all. Only on the surface."

"Okay." Sarah put her head back down. "Was Lirum scared?"

"I had to use my _Dad Voice_."

Sarah laughed. It was such an overdramatic deeper version of Kaim's voice, that whenever he had to use it, which wasn't often, she always had to turn her head to keep from Lirum seeing her laughing. "She was trying to pull away from me and wasn't listening," he continued, whining just a little at her humor.

"She was just scared."

"I know." Kaim sighed. "I lost my patience though."

"Aw. Poor papa Kaim." He tickled her in response.

After squirming away for a moment, Sarah wrapped herself against him again and asked, "how does it feel to have a birthday?"

"It's odd." Kaim took a moment to pause. "I've never been asked before. Maybe my past children never noticed that my birthday was never celebrated. We always celebrated their birthdays, their mother's birthdays, and wedding anniversaries, but mine just slipped on by. This time around our child just happens to have two parents who don't celebrate birthdays, and she must have been curious as to why."

"It's kind of nice having one," Sarah said between a yawn. The day was starting to finally catch up to her. Kaim untangled his arms and legs and allowed Sarah to stretch a little. After placing her glasses safely on the nightstand beside the bed, she curled into him once again; another smaller yawn escaping her. "I feel appreciated."

"Happy first birthday?" She laughed. Kaim nestled in beside her. "It's weird saying that after living a millennium."

"And there will be many more to come," Sarah finished with a smile. Kaim leaned in, and Sarah met him in the middle of the small space between them. With a kiss goodnight, she closed her eyes and let sleep overcome her.


	17. Escape from Wimborne

Kaim had never felt so much relief at seeing the moonlit rooftops crest over the rocky path. He let out an audible sigh, before adjusting the weight that lay on his back. He crept quietly through the village following the familiar path to the small house in the middle of Tosca.

One light was on, and he shifted his arms to let one hand free to knock softly on the door. There was some movement heard behind the door before it swung widely open. Sarah's expression started at shocked, then melted into a smile, before finally ending on a curious frown. "Kaim, I wasn't expecting a visit…"

She let him through. He ziplined to her one extra bedroom, cleared some of her books away, and lay what was weighing him down on the bed. He unbuttoned the little cloak and moved the fabric away from his charge's face. Sarah moved in beside him and looked at the little girl sleeping before her. Her mouth was twisted in pain, and she was pale under the lamplight.

Kaim silently moved some of her raven dark hair from the girl's face, and Sarah leapt into action. "What happened? It's going to scar." She set a hand on the small girl's chest and Kaim watched as the wound healed itself on the side of her neck. He felt easy as the little girl's face calmed in her sleep but frowned at the mark that darkened after its healing. "Branded?"

Kaim nodded. He was at a loss for words as the he tried to sort out the last few days in his exhausted mind. He rubbed his eyes, ready to let the dark thoughts drift away from him. After tucking the girl's cloak back around her and checking to make sure she was safely sleeping and her fever was going away, Sarah led Kaim back into her living room.

Her little loveseat was cleared off and she pushed Kaim into it. He watched as she went to her kitchen to make some tea. He leaned back into the soft seat willing himself to relax. It was a nonstop journey from the small town north of Uhra to Tosca, and he felt his feet ache and throb under his boots. He opened his eyes when he felt Sarah's skirt brush his skin to see that she was offering him a cup. He accepted the mug with a small thank you and took a sip. He lifted his brow at her as the drink burned its way down his throat. "Added a little something to help warm you up and relax," she said with a smile. "Some whiskey will do you good, Kaim."

He chuckled and took another, smaller, sip of the spiked tea. He sighed heavily, letting the spiced liquid soak in. It left him feeling loose, and he came to realize it was exactly what he needed for his sore body. "Thank you, and I'm sorry for coming around without warning. Especially this late."

"There's no need to apologize. That's what friends are for, right?" Sarah set her tea down, moving herself to face Kaim.

She tucked her toes underneath his leg and he laughed, fully this time. He missed how she always found a way to touch him before telling stories. How long had it been since he saw her last? They've known each other for a little over a century now, but he hadn't seen her in at least thirty or forty years. Countless letters have passed between them, but Kaim hadn't found the opportunity to visit her. Not since she charmed his traveling boots. It seemed like a lifetime ago, and it might as well have been. He let his eyes wander from his thigh that kept her feet warm to the way she rested her elbow on the top of her loveseat; her cheek nestled into her palm. Her hair was longer than it normally was, and he knew that soon enough she'd cut it down. He remembered one letter that arrived in the summer that described how torturous it was that she couldn't find a hairdresser in the heat of a southern city. The letter made him smile, just as the memory of it did. He turned just slightly to mimic her elbow rest, head tilting to the side, the grin not leaving his lips. "Getting comfortable?"

"Ready for a story if you're up to it."

Kaim hummed and listened as Sarah's living room clock chimed ten times. This was still an early night for them both, so he had time to tell a story.

. . .

Kaim's feet crunched the gravel on the familiar road. The small village of Wimborne lay in the north eastern part of Uhra and was mostly secluded; only having a very small port in its town on a river that led south towards the capital. Wimborne held special memories, and Kaim made it a point to visit every decade or so to see how it was going.

As he neared closer to his destination, he wondered if he picked the wrong year to come check up on the small village. Walking through the fallen leaves, he noticed a change in the atmosphere. Normally this is the time of the year for the Fall Celebration, and the town would be alive with people and food. Today the whole town was silent. He could see the edge of Wimborne from where he stood and from what he could tell no one was walking through the streets, and if they did come out of the gate, they were cloaked in weird white robes with a red half circle sewn into the sleeves. Kaim felt and looked out of place, and the glares weren't helping to ease his mind. He paused as he looked at the entryway into the city.

With only a small bit of hesitation in his step, he walked through the gate into the almost deserted town only to be confronted by one of the men in the odd robes. "Peace, sir. I ask your name."

Kaim gave him a look, deciding to be honest. "Argonar."

"Sir, what is your business in Wimborne?"

"A visit."

"Where?"

Kaim was becoming increasingly annoyed. He didn't want to let these people know why he was here. Just by the look of them and the way they acted as he passed, he could guess they were a part of an extreme political or religious group, and they had somehow taken over Wimborne and its inhabitants. The more questions asked of him, the less he wanted to speak. These people didn't need to know any more about him than necessary. Who knew what kind of information they could use against him or those he planned to visit. "Who needs to know?"

"I am but a lowly guard to his Heavenly Grace." Kaim's expression was impassive. He was right about the religion part and knew nothing good could come of it. The man continued, "It is my duty to know who comes forth for His Blessing."

"I'm not asking for one. I don't need one, either." Kaim moved to walk past him, but the man stopped him in his tracks. He sighed. "Look. I'm just here to visit someone. I'm sure he's waiting for me—"

"Were you not informed? All men are out to serve His Lordship. There only be women and children here, sir."

Kaim's interest piqued. "Women and children and that's it? Why?"

"It is not this one's lowly place to say." And now the man looked uncomfortable to be asked questions in return. "But if you'll have no business here, then allow me to escort you ou—"

"His wife would still be here," Kaim interrupted and moved again, and this time the man let him through. After walking another dozen steps, he looked over his shoulder to see another odd man with a similar white robe and red symbol go over to talk to the village guard. They seemed to whisper to each other for a minute and then he was being followed. With a sigh, Kaim changed his course.

He took his time and walked around Wimborne. Any women that were out held their heads down. All the children were kept silent and held very closely. Kaim noticed that his go to bar was closed, and thought to himself how much he would enjoy a drink right about now. The robed man still followed close behind, so Kaim took his time wandering through the streets.

He stopped at a newly erected building and found the symbol he had been seeing carved into its doors. He observed it, frowning more. Something this organized couldn't possibly pop up overnight, and it surely oppressed the village in record time. Kaim couldn't remember anything like these white robed people the last time he was here, and that was only seven years ago. He looked around him, saw the guy who was tracking him, and turned towards the inn.

A familiar face greeted him. The innkeeper was a lovely older woman that Kaim had met when she was only ten. She grew attached to the immortal mercenary when he was sent from Uhra to defend the small town a long time ago, and whenever he visited he enjoyed her company. She was looking at her books, but closed them when he came close. "Mr. Argonar! It's good to see a familiar face."

The robed man came in moments after he did. The woman seemed to know immediately that he was being followed, much to his relief. "Here for a visit?" she asked, brow raised. Kaim nodded. She pulled out her book and marked a few things in it. She slid it across the counter and Kaim picked up the pen. He looked down at her writing. She wrote one word, _Amelia?_

Kaim signed his name beside it, quickly scratching out the word she wrote, and nodded looking up. "One night."

She closed the book with a wink. "Let me get your room all situated."

Kaim stepped aside as she came around the counter space. She looked over to the robed man and curtsied low. "I give you my blessings, good sir. Can I help you?"

"No, my apologies good woman." The man bowed. "Just…looking. I will be out of your way."

The robed man left leaving the innkeeper and mercenary all alone. She sighed, turning to Kaim. "They came here about two years ago."

"Built a church I see. They're here to stay?"

"Unfortunately, it looks to be so," she sighed. "They've kept the woman and children here and sent our men to Gohtza! My dear husband and son-in-law are there now. Oh!" She snapped her finger. "That's right. That's who you were bound here to see, I bet. Well, now you know. Tuck's in Gohtza."

Kaim sighed. He had just come all the way from that snowy continent in hopes to see Tuck. He shrugged and guessed having a talk with Amelia instead would be helpful. "Anyway, your usual is already set up. I'll close up shop for a moment and go get them."

"Them?"

"Another surprise?" The woman smiled. "I'll keep it for you then. Go relax upstairs a little."

Kaim made his way up the steps, and into the familiar space. He pulled his boots off and rolled his shoulders. Outside of the window, the village lay in eerie silence only the occasional white robed man walking as quietly as the inn was. He turned away from it and turned on the lamp in the dying afternoon.

Twenty minutes later there was a knock. Kaim opened the door to see a younger woman. Her russet hair lay straight down her back, bangs covering the left side of her face. Amelia looked very much like her mother, the innkeeper, down to having the same very bright blue eyes. She gave Kaim a warm smile, and he returned it. She lifted her cloak and he saw a very small girl who shared her mother's looks, though with darker hair. "This is Rosalind."

Kaim kneeled in front of the small girl. _So, the surprise was a child._ The last time he visited was to see the wedding between Tuck and Amelia, and so it wasn't a surprise that they would have had a baby. They did want a full family. The little girl stared wide-eyed back at him, and nervously fidgeted with her dress. Kaim held out his hand. "My name is Kaim Argonar. It's very nice to meet you Rosalind."

The girl smiled hesitantly. She looked up at her mother. Amelia nodded, and Rosalind grasped his large hand in her small one. Kaim shook it once, then stood up and let them into the room. Rosalind sat next to her mother on the chair while Kaim sat across from them on his bed. "What has happened here?"

"I don't even know really," Amelia started with a sigh. "They came by boat one night, and by the next week, they were preaching to us about our sins and that we must repent."

Kaim knew of many different religions that spread across this earth, and the ones that come in control of people were never the good kind. He crossed his arms. "Do you need out of here?"

Amelia nodded her head quickly, and Kaim noticed something as her hair moved. He pointed to her left cheek, and she frowned. Sighing, she pulled her hair away revealing burned skin. Kaim scooted to the edge of his seat and looked in horror at the branded mark left on her cheek. It was the same crescent shape that was sewn into the white cloaks. "Why?"

"I cured a young boy's wound from a fall in front of one of them once. I had no idea they were so against magic; even white magic, which is all I know. They got me a few weeks ago." Amelia moved her hair back. He watched as she let out a shaky sigh, her hands smoothing out her hair in embarrassment. "I'm so afraid, Kaim. If they can do this to me, what else are they planning?"

"We'll leave tomorrow night." Kaim was on his feet, pacing. He wanted to get the three women out as soon as he could, but they'd need to prepare a little bit. The next town from here was a day's walk, and with traveling companions it took longer. "Go back home, pack some things. Tell your mother, and I'll get all of you out. We'll go to Gohtza together."

Amelia nodded, gathering her daughter and pulling their hoods up. "Kaim, thank you. I know you'll take care of us."

Kaim nodded placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I won't leave you behind." Amelia placed her hand on top of his for a moment, before turning her daughter out the door. Kaim closed it behind them.

.

He was awoken very late into the night by screams. Battle worn thoughts raced into his mind as he stumbled out of his bed. He pulled on his boots, and practically fell over himself to get the door open. There, he bumped into the innkeeper. In the moonlight, Kaim could see tears streaking down her face. "They knew Amelia came to visit you here and they've killed her! They have Rosie, Kaim! I need you to go get her, please!" she sobbed. Kaim was up, pulling his dagger from his sack he brought with him. He told the innkeeper to hide in his room, and that he would be back in a moment.

He ran out of the inn. Women and children were in the streets, and Kaim had to dodge the panicked cries and crowds that blocked the walkways. He followed the yelling to the newly made building with the symbol. He ran up to the door and pulled it open. As soon as he did, there came a shriek, and Kaim's feet moved quicker. He made it to the alter as fast as he could, to the people standing shocked at his entrance, and pulled Rosalind away from her captors. When they reached back for her, Kaim pulled the dagger out in front of him. "I dare you to come closer."

"You sir, are just a visitor!" There was the guard he had met earlier that day. "One who was not approved to walk through the streets of Wimborne. You hold a daughter of an _enchantress_! We must finish what we are to do to teach her a lesson."

Kaim didn't have time to argue. Rosalind clung to his neck fiercely, and his first concern was to get her away. He slowly backed away from the robed men. "Sir, you are making a grand mistake! Our god will look down poorly on your soul."

"Well, then. It's a good thing I don't have one," he said. The faces that stood in front of him paled as white as their clothing, and Kaim almost smiled. It wasn't the time to gloat at their reaction, as he heard Rosalind's crying increase. His back hit the still closed door, and that's when he turned to run out of the open side.

He made it back to the inn only to see flames. There were a few villagers around watching the scene before them. They talked in low voices how the innkeeper's family turned out to be enchantresses, and it was a good thing they were all gone. His heart sank as he learned that the innkeeper herself was dragged out of the flames only to be struck down in the chest by the religious men. "I hear they even got the littlest one. I knew there was something off about her. She was too quiet."

Mortals were disgusting sometimes, but Kaim could not dwell on it. He took one last look at the burning inn before turning towards the exit. When he started to hear a commotion behind him, he picked up the pace to get out of this town faster. There wasn't any looking back.

Rosalind still cried the whole way out. Kaim got off the path as quickly as he could, and made his way into the dark woods. He rubbed the girl's back and carefully tucked her head between his neck and shoulder, hoping to muffle some of her crying. He didn't need monsters on top of the weird robbed men hunting after them.

.

Kaim finally came to a stop when he reached the next town. It was late morning by then, but he could not afford to rest. He ducked into a café, taking the small girl to the back washrooms. He set her on the counter and looked her over. There on her neck was the cause of her tears, and it hadn't stopped bleeding yet. Kaim peeked his head out of the door, and stopped a waitress. "Yes, my daughter has a cut and I was wondering if you had any first aid supplies I could have?" The woman nodded and disappeared around the corner. Kaim only waited a moment before she was back with bandages, and a cloth. He thanked her, and shut the door behind him.

Rosalind had mostly stopped making noises in the night, but the tears kept flowing and Kaim wasn't sure when they would stop. He took a moment to wipe away her tears before tearing the cloth into two. He put water onto the one, and dabbed at the wound on her neck. Her sniffling came back a little louder this time, so Kaim decided to distract her. "Do you remember my name?"

"K-Kaim?" she warbled.

"Did your mother tell you about me?"

"She…she said that you were like family to u-us…she's gone? Where is—where is my mommy?" Kaim stopped to look at the girl as she covered her eyes with her hands. "My mom…mommy, she said…we…we were leaving together!"

"I know." Kaim quickly wrapped up her wound and pulled the girl into a hug. Rosalind tucked her face into his shoulder again. "You have to be brave."

Rosalind sniffled but Kaim felt her nod.

Kaim rocked her back and forth until she was asleep. He threw away the dirty cloth and tucked the clean one into his pocket. His bag and sword had burned up with the inn back in Wimborne, but luckily his wallet was in his back pocket. He thanked the waitress again on the way out, and made his way into market with the sleeping girl on his hip.

.

After purchasing a new sword, two new cloaks, a little bit of food, and a new pack that crossed his shoulder and hip, he made his way out of the market and they made their way east. Kaim needed to get to Gohtza as fast as he could, but knew he needed someone he could trust to look at Rosalind's wound. As they made their way towards the mountains, they had to stop several times to change her bandage. By the end of the week, Rosalind was starting to get a fever. The wound was closed but red and very irritated and Kaim feared it got infected.

There was one person he trusted more than anyone to help him out and he could only hope the little girl could survive the four-day trip and hike up the mountain to get there. Kaim pulled his exhausted self up the path.

. . .

Sarah chewed on the inside of her cheek as Kaim finished his tale. He was staring down his empty cup. "I just…can't believe that village."

She placed a hand on his. He was trembling. When she looked up, she saw tears in his eyes. "She's so young and they were willing…willing to brand her a…a magic user, without…any thought. Any proof." Kaim wiped his eyes. Sarah moved her feet and took the cup from his shaking hands. She held them in her own, rubbing thumbs over his knuckles. The touch seemed to soothe Kaim. "Rosalind." He cleared his throat. Sarah waited patiently. "Rosalind. She's my granddaughter."

"Granddaughter?" Sarah squeezed his hand a little. He finally looked up at her.

"About two hundred and eighty years ago I had a daughter. I don't usually keep up this long with family. Most of the time my great grandchildren are less understanding of my life, and I just vanish after a while. But this time. It's been…different." Kaim took a deep breath in. "Tuck is my great grandson. Nine or so greats, I think."

"Wow." Sarah had a million questions, but Kaim's grief gave her pause. Instead she continued with, "and you're hoping Tuck is in Gohtza?"

Kaim nodded. "I visit them once every decade, back at Wimborne. Tuck would try to write to me, though sometimes letters got lost with my traveling. I hadn't heard from him since he got married almost a decade ago, so I thought I'd visit. If I hadn't." Kaim looked towards the bedroom where Rosalind lay sleeping.

"Kaim, you take all the time you need to get ready." Sarah got up and went to her bedroom. She checked to make sure that her room was cleaned up enough before going back out towards the living room. Kaim had found his way to the kitchen to set their cups into the sink. "You can take my bed."

"No. I'll sleep on the couch—"

"Don't be silly. You're a guest and you've been going non-stop for almost two weeks! You've been pulling double time to get here, and have you even really slept at all? I'm happy you didn't die of exhaustion." Sarah practically pushed him towards her bedroom. Just as she turned away to let him sleep, he grabbed her hand. She looked up and he was avoiding her gaze, looking down to her wooden floor. "Yes?"

"Could you…? It's been a long time since…I've slept around people." Kaim awkwardly let her hand go. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't ask. It'll be uncomfortable for you."

"Did you want me to stay with you till you've fallen asleep?" Sarah watched his head dip up and down. Somehow in the one hundred years since they rediscovered each other, she had figured the silent immortal out a little. Kaim, though seemingly cold and calculated upon first meeting, craved closeness and conversation. Sometimes he might not open up about his travels, and he may not even say a word around her at all, but he did enjoy listening to others. He was probably spent enough just by telling that story and the emotions that revealed themselves at the end of it, and Sarah understood that he had a lot on his mind. If her being near would help him rest, then she would get over her shyness and allow it. She gently pulled him to the bed, holding out the covers.

Kaim crawled into her bed and she lay right beside him. He closed his eyes, but a few minutes later they were open and looking right at her. She laughed a little. "You're exhausted."

"But can't sleep," he finished with a sigh. He looked so uncomfortable and Sarah knew that even immortal bodies had limits.

Without even thinking or asking permission, Sarah found herself running her fingers through his hair and humming a little off tune. A little bit of zephyr flowed through her fingers into his scalp as she did so, and she prayed it soothed his aches. At first, he just watched, but as she scratched along the skin behind his ear, his eyelids began to droop. Sarah watched as he finally closed his eyes, and, after another few minutes, drift off to sleep. She pulled the cover over his shoulder and watched as he breathed in evenly and out. When she knew he was in a deep sleep, she leaned over and kissed his forehead. "Sleep well, Kaim."

. . .

Kaim woke up to sounds of laughter. He took a moment let his body rise to wakefulness. He scrubbed an arm across his face, allowing himself a second to remember where he was. He searched the room for a clock and was surprised to read that it was almost two in the afternoon. He had slept a long time. When he heard Rosalind laughing again, he moved to the open door.

The little five-year-old was standing on a stool watching as Sarah stirred a pot on the stove. She was entranced and Kaim finally saw that the older woman was stirring the pot with only a point of her finger. Kaim smiled as Rosalind clapped her hands together. She didn't seem feverish and he was relieved that Sarah's magic seemed to heal her wound completely, though the scar was there to stay. He frowned at the dark mark on her skin. "Miss Sarah, you are the coolest!"

"Oh, that's exactly what I love to hear, Rosie!"

Kaim saw the two of them add in vegetables and chunks of meat to the pot. Rosalind carefully stood on tiptoes and watched as Sarah added more liquid. After another moment, the little girl finally noticed Kaim. "Kaim! Miss Sarah said she's making a stew for us!"

"It'll be colder in Gohtza now," Sarah said with a smile.

Kaim thanked her. "It'll help us a lot."

Sarah seemed to look him up and down. Kaim tilted his head, lifting his arms up to give her a better look. "It's just that you look a little…"

Kaim took a harder look. His clothes, which he didn't change out of the night before, were covered in dirt and dust. He discovered smudges of mud and monster's blood on his arms and hands and didn't want to think of what he smelled like. When was the last time he had a proper wash? He was filthy. "I, um. Sorry." He would wash her sheets later.

"I'll heat you some water."

After his quick bath, and as the afternoon wore on, Rosalind helped Sarah do little things around the house, and Kaim ventured out to Tosca's market. The distraction for Rosalind was exactly what Kaim needed. It was hard enough trying to come up with ways to tell the young girl about her family, and he knew he would have to have the conversation sooner rather than later. He frowned as he picked up an apple. Conversations like that never got any easier. Not as a soldier, and definitely not as a grandfather.

He got a few extra supplies and brought them back to Sarah's place. Rosalind was happily eating an early dinner. He thought that she looked well enough to travel, if they took it slow. He turned to his bag he had left in Sarah's living room. "We'll probably leave in the morning," he said to Sarah, packing away what he just bought.

"And I had a question for you." He watched as she chewed on the inside of her cheek, creating a dimple, and adjusting her glasses. After a beat she took in a little breath, asking, "would it be okay if I went with you? I need to go to Khent and, you know, it's not too far away from Gohtza…"

Kaim nodded instantly, relieved she was asking. "I'll take you after we find Tuck."

Sarah smiled, clapping her hands together. She thanked him again, then left to her own room to make her own pack ready. Kaim felt a little better knowing Sarah was coming along. Her healing spells would be helpful if Rosalind grew sick again, or they ran into any monsters along the way.

He knew his granddaughter was staring at him before she even spoke. He turned his head, as she asked, "is Miss Sarah coming too?"

Kaim nodded, and Rosalind smiled. "Yay! I like her a lot!"

"She is very hard not to like," he supplied with a smile.

"Is she your wife?"

Kaim stopped and looked down to the girl. She was happily wiping her face of stew, but was looking at him unfazed. "When I woke up this morning she was sleeping next to you!"

Kaim looked away a moment, trying to control the urge to dodge the question. Children were naturally curious. It had been almost a century since he had any little one's of his own and had forgotten how their little mouths sometimes didn't have filters. He didn't realize that Sarah must have fallen asleep herself on the bed, and that thought made him flush a little. "No. She is not my wife. Just a very…special friend."

"Kay!" Rosalind seemed happy enough with that answer.

He let out a quiet breath and returned to his things. Thoughts wandered, though, and he caught himself thinking about the last time he and Sarah had slept in the same room together. It had been seventy years ago, but he remembered how she looked so innocent with the moonlight washing over her in sleep. She slept with arms curled underneath her pillow, and knees bent just slightly. Little snores came out with each breath, not loud enough to be annoying; though Kaim could sleep through anything so it didn't matter. If anything, it made her more endearing. He felt so protective of her back then, even though he knew she was smart enough to not get hurt in the streets of Uhra. It was a dark time in that kingdom's history, which was why he felt the need to watch over her that night. Not much sleep was gotten, but he didn't mind that at all when the sun rose, and he caught a glimpse of Sarah rousing out of sleep.

When Sarah asked if he was feeling warm and if she needed to open a window, he snapped out of his thoughts, cleared his throat and made the excuse that he was going to double check something outside for a moment.

Kaim slept on the couch that night, making sure that no wandering five-year-olds could spy on him, and everyone woke up early to start their journey.

. . .

Sarah took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Kaim watched as her breath rose above her in a little puff of mist. He forgot that even this early in fall that the Ice Canyon was still going to be cold and messy. Their journey to the place was easy enough but going through it was another thing. Kaim would have to catch himself from slipping in the slush that surrounded them. Rosalind didn't seem to mind, though, running ahead and purposely slipping on the ice. "Does she know?" Kaim turned to Sarah, she was looking up at him with a grim set to her mouth.

He sighed. "I talked to her a little this morning before you got up." He paused and they both watched as Rosalind trotted over to the ice that lay flat on the slope. Her laughter could be heard echoing off the walls around them as she ran up and slid back down the ice. This would be the first time she saw snow and ice like this, and her curiosity knew no limits. "I don't know how much she understands."

Sarah hummed. The girl was only five. He couldn't imagine what was going on through her head. He had done the best he could, and he hoped that once they reached Gohtza and found her father and grandfather, they'd be able to sit down and talk again.

Rosalind spotted a penguin and found herself back in Kaim's arms when it squawked at her. He could hear Sarah laugh quietly as she shooed the little animal away.

. . .

Kaim asked around for the men who had moved to Gohtza. No one in Middle town knew of who he was talking about, but once they stepped into Low Town, he could see the somewhat familiar faces of Wimborne there. He began to ask again, and luckily the first person he talked to seemed to know every person there.

"Tuck?" The man stood rubbing his cold fingers together. "Aye I know 'im! Yeah, check the restaurant around the corner! He's finished his work, so you might find 'im there!"

Kaim, Rosalind and Sarah found themselves in the crowded restaurant, and at first, he believed it would be hopeless to find any one person in this large group. There was so much noise and people wearing the same dark clothing, he thought it would take a long time to find anyone, but Rosalind found her father quickly. The young man snapped his head towards them when the young girl cried out to him. "Rosie? Rosie how'd you—?"

Rosalind jumped out of Kaim's arms and ran to her father. He scooped her up and held her tightly. After a moment he turned his head to find Kaim, a shocked look on his face. "Kaim?"

"Tuck we need to talk."

. . .

Tuck decided it would be best to start anew in a different town. Kaim convinced him to move someplace other than the city of Gohtza, and even offered to pay for the tickets to wherever he wanted to go. Tuck talked about how hard it was going to be to start all over, and took and thanked the immortal for the offer. "I don't know what to say, Kaim. You've done so much for me and Rosie." Tuck brought a hand to his eye, wiping away the tears that formed there. "And thank you for getting her out of there."

"Don't mention it. It's the least I could do. I'm sorry about Amelia." Kaim rested his hand on the man's shoulder. "I wish I could have done more."

"You did everything you could. If it wasn't for you…" Tuck shook his head, giving the older man a watery half smile. "Well. We'd be alone and who knows how long I wouldn't have known about her passing."

Kaim turned to Sarah who was sitting along the wall with Rosalind and her grandfather. She and the older man were distracting the young girl for a moment to let them talk. Tuck sniffed, and continued with, "I need to thank her."

They walked over to the other group, and Tuck bowed low to Sarah. She squeaked out a _please don't bow!_ , but before she could really say anything else, he was up again. "Thank you so much. Kaim told me that Rosie's wound was infected, and you saved her."

"It's nothing! Please don't mention it. Rosalind is a wonderful child, and I would have done anything for her." Sarah smiled down to the girl, smoothing her hair. The girl giggled, and reached for her father's hand, keeping one with her grandfather also. "So where have you decided to go?"

This time it was the Rosalind's grandfather who spoke up. "I have some brothers and sisters who live in a city not too far south of Uhra, but far enough away from Wimborne. I've written to them explaining everything, and I'm sure we'll be welcome there." He gave Kaim a weak smile, and Kaim could do nothing else but nod knowingly. It was hard to lose family, and it was harder knowing your loving wife was taken away too early and so harshly. That was a pain he never hoped to feel again.

Kaim and Sarah nodded. Tuck arranged the pack on his back and held on to his daughter's hand tighter. "The train will be arriving soon."

"We'll walk you up," Kaim said.

.

They watched as the train pulled out of the station. When it was long gone into the distance, Kaim felt his shoulder's sag. The grief of the last few weeks suddenly weighed heavy on his heart, and all he wanted to do was sit down. He glanced down at Sarah, and she didn't miss his expression. Like the good friend she was, she hooked an arm around his, and led him away from the platform. "Let's rest. Take as long as you need, and if you don't want to travel to Khent it's okay."

"I'm not going to abandon you to a two-day journey to Khent."

Sarah threw him a quick smile. "I know. Just thought I'd let you know that I would understand otherwise. You have options."

"Leaving you in the snow and cold won't ever be an option, Sarah." Kaim patted her hand that wrapped around his arm, and let it rest there until they reached the Hotel Crown.


	18. Mixed Feelings

Was it when she charmed his boots for the first time? Was that it? Kaim looked down at his boots. Dusty and caked with grime, but still sturdy and intact just like when he brought them to Sarah thirty years ago. He thought back again and shook his head. "No not then." He pulled off the old things and set them near the foot of the bed.

Was it when she wrote back in a hurry, worried about his health and death on the seas when he was fighting the Crowe Clan with Seth and her crew? The letter amused him to no end because he could practically hear Sarah scolding him— _Kaim, dealing with pirates is not what I expected of you!—_ and asking him if he was okay in the same breath.

 _I am okay_ , was all he wrote back.

The tongue lashing, he received when he met up with her again in person made him feel guilty. She really was worried for him and he had apologized. Kaim found himself shaking his head again. "Not then." Kaim stretched his arms up high and fell back onto the pillows.

It wasn't when he ran her through with his sword. He grimaced at the memory, quickly clearing it with a shake of his head.

It was before she helped him heal his granddaughter almost forty years before, but how long before? Could he really figure it out in his thoughts?

Kaim turned in the sheets, looking out the window of the Kersen's Inn room he was staying at. The guard job was over, and he was finally free of his military duty, but he had this one thing to figure out before he made his way up to Tosca. A new and perplexing riddle that had suddenly sprung up in his long life. It was the hardest mystery he's ever had to solve, one that could possibly be almost two centuries old. He furrowed his brow, eyes moving to the ceiling.

He asked himself again: _how long have I loved Sarah?_

. . .

"Goodbye, Kaim!"

"Keep in touch, yeah?"

The week before found Kaim waving back to the men on the dock. Men he fought the war with and forged an unlikely friendship. The past three years were relatively easy, not much was at stake with this battle and the fighting was kept at a minimal. The issue between the warring countries was solved and wrapped up before too many people were involved. It was easier that way and allowed Kaim the time off to go traveling. He made his way through the quiet town.

As he passed a store he thought he'd seen a familiar face. Looking back, it wasn't Sarah at all.

Thinking about his bespectacled friend, he pulled out her last letter from his bag. She was in Tosca, just getting back herself from a trip to a city south of the mountains and wasn't going anywhere for the foreseeable future. A quiet way of letting him know that he could pop in whenever he could. He remembered he hadn't written back, so at the next bench he could find, he sat down and wrote to let her know that he was on his way for a visit. It would take two weeks to walk to Tosca, but maybe there would be someone traveling that way by caravan or boat. _There's always someone who needs a guard,_ he thought to himself, and if that meant faster travel, he'd take any job. He just needed to find the requests. He stood up, dropped off the letter at the nearby post, and made his way downtown.

.

While there weren't many listings for help in this town, a short walk to the neighboring city with a larger population, held many. This was a market city and it was crawling with merchants and noblemen that used its port to make their purchases and trades.

It took him a whole day, but Kaim found a man who needed a guard to watch his wares and money traveling to Saman. This was a perfect job as it was only a walk through the Black Cave to get to Tosca. The letter he had sent the day before would get to Sarah and three days after he should arrive. _Enough time to allow her to get settled and organized,_ he thought with a smile. She was a very smart woman, with awful organization skills, and it showed by just how much she could chaotically fit in her tiny home in the mountains. Kaim loved her space, though, and wouldn't dream of correcting her in any way. With a job secured, he headed to the hotel to rest. It was going to be a one-week journey until he saw Sarah again.

. . .

It started off innocently enough. Sarah was sitting next to him, fishing rod in hand, and laughing. They shared moments like this when he managed to visit her in Tosca over the many years: sitting in peace, reminiscing, and catching fish. A lot of fish this time. Kaim didn't seem to worry about the amount so long as Sarah was next to him. Even if it did seem alarming that the fish were practically leaping up to be eaten.

"We've got enough to feed the village!" she exclaimed, looking down at the large bucket of fish that sat beside them.

"Enough for a few meals if we keep getting lucky like this," he replied, as she pulled yet another wiggling fish from the water. They both reached out for it. Sarah caught the line, though Kaim's hand brushed against hers. He felt his breath hitch as he glanced at her sideways.

Sarah was not looking at him, eyes averted to their touching fingers, cheeks burning fire across her face and down her neck. Her own breath was coming in as small gasps, that much he could tell. Was she embarrassed about the touch? He stroked a finger across her knuckles, a teasing touch to see her reaction, and he saw her squirm a little in his peripheral vision. Kaim turned his head to face her fully, and Sarah finally moved to make eye contact. When she did it was like something snapped. Kaim closed the distance between them, as she dropped the fishing rod into the river.

Everything seemed to be moving at top speed but so very slowly at the same time. Kaim's lips landed on their mark and after a moment of fumbling, she parted her own for him. His arms framed her face on the ground, his hair enclosing them to their own little world. Her hands were placed firmly on his shoulders as if she was unsure of what to with them, but Kaim didn't mind. He was too entranced by her softness.

After they broke for a gasp of air, Sarah let her hands move a little south and Kaim rested his forehead on hers. He closed his eyes and let the sensation of her venturing fill his senses. He would have never thought that he needed this feeling before, like he had never felt another woman's touch in his seven hundred years of living. Her cool fingers seemed like ice on his fiery skin, and when he felt her nails scrape against his chest, he opened his eyes and devoured her once again. Lips and tongue moving faster, breath forgotten.

Kaim moved his body fully above her own allowing her even more access to his skin. Between the drive of his lips on hers and her wandering hands, he didn't know how he wasn't dying in this very moment. He balled his fists and gasped when he felt her light touches on his rib cage. The small giggle from below was enough to regulate his breathing. "Sensitive," she whispered.

All Kaim could manage was a small huff of breath before Sarah leaned forward and kissed him softly. It was distracting. The caution and focus it took not take her lower lip in his teeth and growl was all he could manage to give. He wasn't some animal and he knew in the back of his mind that Sarah was entirely new to this. Even though all he could think of was pushing his body against hers, he felt himself lean back a little every time she caressed him with a slow kiss. His mind grew hazy and light and—

Kaim was surprised when he felt her tug his shirt from his pants and broke off the soft contact. He didn't think she'd be so bold, at least not yet. She carefully pushed on his chest, a sign, and when he leaned back onto his knees, she moved to sit up. She quietly tugged the unbuttoned shirt off his arms and laid it in the grass beside them. In this intimate moment he was almost embarrassed at the way her eyes seemed to study his nude torso, but it was soon forgotten when she got close enough to trace a finger over a scar. She explored his battle wounds like a map, following every ridge and crest with one tender stroke until her hands reached the buttons of his pants. He looked into her eyes, hands hovering above hers at his waistband. A strangled cry, "Sarah, are you sure—?"

 _Wake up._

.

With a gasp, Kaim shot out of bed. He breathed in hard and heavy, eyes focusing in on the thin stream of light coming through the curtains of his hotel room. He wiped the sweat off his forehead, his other hand resting on his chest right above his wildly beating heart. His body was reacting to that vivid dream and all he could mutter was, "shit."

. . .

The next day it took everything for Kaim to not think about that dream. He killed a dozen monsters and kept a vigilant guard for any more as the small group made their way north to a ship that was docked waiting for them. The sea would be the fastest way to get to Saman, but the land before them was filled with monsters. Kaim happily fell into bed that night, though his mind was finally able to think back to the night before. _What was that dream all about?_

It wasn't like he never had dreams like that in the past. He was immortal but not immune to those kinds of thoughts and feelings, but they never involved Sarah before. He rubbed his tired eyes. He didn't want to dwell on it for too long. He still had this job to finish.

He awoke in the morning even more perplexed. No kissing involved, but a dream still heavily involved with his fellow immortal kin. Images of Sarah laughing, holding his hand, and blushing when they touched crowded his thoughts and he had to push them all back. It was making him irritated, and he knew he needed to be at attention.

It was another three days before they reached the port and Kaim couldn't find any peace. As the boat rocked underneath him, he found himself thinking. The dreams were one thing, but now he couldn't decipher his real feelings. He's fallen in love before, but this felt different. For one he's known Sarah for three centuries, and that's a long time to get to know someone, and why would it take this long to fall in love? Could he have been denying himself for this long?

He knew this feeling wasn't just lust. He would feel disgusted with himself otherwise. There was no question that he was crushing on her, but why? _Why now?_ he thought to himself. _After all these years?_

Sarah had been there for him through troubling times just as he was for her. And thinking back on it; the more he visited her, the harder it was to leave. He enjoyed spending any time with her and knew he longed for those moments with her when he was away. When he was off doing what he was doing, he savored every letter and note that came his way and reread them when he was feeling particularly moody—

Kaim put his head in his hand. He couldn't believe this was all making sense now. When did this happen? Why now when he only had days to figure out what he was going to do about it. Did Sarah feel this way about him? He couldn't just come out and ask. In his past it was always the mortal women who came out and said it first. Kaim felt that it gave them a choice because he knew how fragile and short lived their time together would be. Was it because Sarah was immortal that it would be different this time around?

The boat trip went without any problems and he was paid in Saman. The letter would have arrived at Sarah's three days before just like he thought, but now he was feeling anxious looking at the Black Cave entrance. It was late in the afternoon, it wouldn't seem off if he decided to stay one night in Saman, so he turned and walked towards Kersen's Inn.

. . .

The next day Kaim felt even worse. How could he bring up the courage to walk to Sarah and ask her how she felt about him? He felt the words scramble his tongue and she wasn't even there. He paced outside of the Black Cave entrance, not caring if any other passerby saw him overthinking every move he was about to make.

With one step into the cave he decided that he was just going to go and figure it out on the way.

It was his most disastrous trip through the cave yet. He couldn't keep his focus and made very many missteps and falls. At one point he forgot to get a few fireflies to help him see, and he twisted his ankle in a hole. Feeling miserable and banged up, he fought the bats and other monsters the best he could and made it out to the open. Another few yards and he'd be in Tosca, and that's when his stomach flipped. It wasn't too late to turn back—

—except someone recognized him, though Kaim was still too far away to know who it was. "Ah, Mr. Argonar! I see you're here for a visit!"

"Uh, yes." Kaim limped his way to the teenager, and finally realized he was one of Sarah's closer neighbors. He had grown in the last three years since he'd been here. "How is everything?"

"Just fine! Nothing changes too much here!" The younger gave him a goofy smile. Kaim returned it with a pat to his shoulder. He was fond of this boy, as was Sarah, and there was no way Kaim would be able to get him to quietly ignore his presence and let him escape back through the cave.

"Well, let me get some rest and I will tell you some stories."

"Yes, sir!"

Kaim looked down to his feet and knew he didn't want to take another agonizing step. "And, also, would you mind grabbing Sarah for me? I don't know if I can limp all the way to her house."

With a nod, the boy darted away into the village. Kaim gently sat himself down onto the ground and stretched his legs out. It wasn't long before he saw Sarah make her way quickly towards him, and why was his damned heart beating so fast?

"Kaim!" Sarah kneeled beside him.

"Sarah." He avoided her eyes for a moment looking down at his feet. "I think I twisted my foot."

She was healing him without another moment's notice. He felt her hand on his back and was sure that he was blushing at the connection but was prepared to blame it on the travel to see her. When she finished and let him go, he was sadly thinking of the loss of her touch. _Get yourself together, Argonar_ , he rumbled through his mind.

"I'm happy to see you."

Kaim looked up and her genuine smile took his breath away. She was beautiful just sitting with a smile on her face. He felt honored to be even graced with such a look that he had to turn his head away. He rubbed the back of his neck, grateful for his old creaking bones. Anything to hide the fact that he couldn't look at her a full ten seconds without flushing.

Sarah stood up beside him, and he took her offer of a hand. He tested out his ankle, knowing that her healing would be perfect but still bouncing anyway, and they made their way into town.

They walked through Tosca's little market place, Sarah buying a few things to make for lunch, and they ultimately stopped at Sarah's little house. Kaim insisted on helping make the tea, and when he finally sat down it was with the mug and a long sigh.

"Long journey?"

"It actually wasn't that bad," Kaim replied, taking a long sip of the warm drink. He let it settle before finishing with, "in the three years there was only one actual battle I was in. Seems the Kings of Uhra and Gohtza didn't need much convincing to settle their difference."

Sarah's knee touched his, and Kaim almost choked on his tea. "Any interesting people out there?"

"Um, yes." He prayed she didn't see his face or at least thought the redness of his cheeks was from the coughing. "Yeah."

He told her of the men he fought with and how they seemed more capable than what he usually got. Eventually he forgot about her knee, instead enjoying her attention and eyes that never left his. He thought maybe he could do this. Maybe he could sit and not stumble and criticize his words and thoughts about every minute he spent with the woman next to him.

As luck would have it, he stumbled onto the definitive test.

Sarah leaned back into her loveseat, head resting on the back of it. She sighed into the air, and Kaim listened intently. "I only wish I had enough sense to travel like you do, Kaim. The most I can do is find someone who is already heading in that direction and tag along with them."

Kaim knew what he wanted to do. If he really needed to figure out his feelings for Sarah, traveling with her and spending more than just a few days or a week here and there with her would be the best way to do it. "A vacation."

"Hmm?"

Kaim dared to look her in the eyes, regretting it as she looked so cute still laying head back though tilted towards him. He held eye contact, blurting out, "come on vacation with me."

"Vacation?" Sarah leaned forward. Her eyes were sparkling and Kaim couldn't seem to swallow. "Vacation?" she repeated again.

"Yeah, uh." Kaim moved his body so that he was facing her, again telling himself not to lose focus. He finally got the words out around the rock stuck in his throat. "Come with me. We'll…go, somewhere."

"Somewhere?" There was amusement in her voice, and he hoped she missed his embarrassed duck of his head. "Go on vacation with Kaim."

Kaim knew he couldn't last any longer. He was going to laugh it off, a joke— _oh, me? Vacationing? I was only messing around. You know I don't rest_ —but he saw it in the corner of his eye. A nod. Pause. Then a more resolute nod.

"I haven't gone anywhere for pleasure in a long time!" Kaim felt his spirit die in his body. He couldn't believe it. "I'll go on vacation with you!"

"Oh! Good!" Kaim laughed nervously, voice higher in pitch though he was sure it was only something he noticed. "I'll…uh, plan."

"Yes. Good! Let me see how much money I have." Sarah jumped up, a wide smile on her face. She turned to go into her kitchen area to drop off their mugs before sliding into her room.

Kaim couldn't read her at all right now. Was she just happy to go on a trip, or did she really want to spend time with him? Was this going to be a romantic getaway, or two friends visiting all the best places? He folded arms over his chest and tapped his foot on the ground. How did this happen? Now Sarah was joyfully looking into her expenses and Kaim had maybe a good half hour to figure out what to even do on a vacation. When was the last time he traveled anywhere to relax? Other than the many trips to Tosca?

It was the perfect opportunity to show her some of the places that meant something to him. Maybe while they were visiting he could gage her feelings. Would they be actual feelings for him or just a general curiosity for new information? Should he take her to places of his past? Can he take the heartbreak of visiting places overgrown with age and lost in past wars _and also_ the possibility that Sarah wouldn't care about what it meant to him? Could his long life be just another marking in a new book? _Kaim Argonar: The Besotted Fool_. He groaned a little. Why was this so hard?

"Oh! I forgot to mention, but while you were gone, I finished my ship!" Sarah popped her head back into view, smile still stuck on her face. "We can go anywhere!"

Kaim's smile was strained at best. "Great!" he said with a little too much force. Sarah didn't bat an eyelash, instead turning back around to her room. He frowned, brow twitching. What did he get himself into?


	19. The Night Before and the Morning After

Sarah's eyes fluttered open to the slowly rising sun that peaked over her windowsill. In the daze of wakefulness, she shifted her in bed, cheek resting on the crown of Kaim's head. He had arrived at her home the night before and it felt nice to share the bed with him even after only a short visit away.

With eyelids drooping again, one thought came to her mind. _I'm not wearing my night shift._

She almost jerked away from the still sleeping form of her boyfriend in horror. As the sharp realization that she was currently indecent prickled gooseflesh on her skin, the memories of the _whole_ night before flooded her mind. A warm flush washed over her as she remembered the reasons why she was currently in this situation. Every muscle in her froze, as her heart beat wildly beneath her ribs. She had done _it_. _They_ had done _it_ , and she must have fallen asleep before she could pull her clothes back on.

 _Sarah, get ahold of yourself,_ she chided. _It's been done and there's no need to be embarrassed! By gods you weren't last night._ The wrong thought. The soft, heated, gratifying events of the evening before returned to her mind, hitting her full force this time. The movement, the limbs, and murmured voices, stirred something in her she wasn't quite sure what to with. Her throat suddenly dried, a desert overcome her whole self and left her feeling lost and suddenly very hot. She took in a large breath and that was strike number two. Her movement caused Kaim to wrap and arm around her, pulling her in uncomfortably close. So close that his head nestled into her chest, causing her to squeak.

He still did not stir. Sarah didn't dare to breathe but shallow breaths.

The closeness was not helping her mind which reeled and buzzed back around to Kaim, and the way he had wrapped his arm around her brought her back to his touch. Last night, he was so gentle yet firm. Kaim was so very considerate of every move, yet the whole ordeal felt wild and left her mind skipping from one move to another. She glanced down, eyes traveling back to the ceiling a second later. He lay next to her also bare, though thankfully for her, his legs and hips were covered. Sarah's face burned from the unwarranted scandal her brain was making up. _It's just Kaim!_ she thought, forcing her head to tilt down to look at him again.

Between herself she could see his peaceful face. He looked even younger, sleeping with no cares. A soft smile stretched to her lips, relaxing her body just a twinge. Kaim was always on alert, thinking two steps ahead, and it made wonders seeing him so vulnerable. With what happened between them, he looked even more tranquil than he usually did when they shared a bed in his visits. If she could she would kiss the corner of his lips just to feel how relaxed his mouth seemed in this moment. Not that he never relaxed when she was dotting affection on him, but she always had to ease him down from his dark thoughts first. It seemed that here, as he rest on her chest, he might be having good dreams.

She dared to drift her fingers through his hair and was rewarded by his small but sharp intake of breath. Sarah knew he simply adored the feeling of hands in his hair and smiled when his own hand twitched in response. Moving down, fingers brushed the strong muscle of his neck and shoulder blade. There was a moment in her wandering where she found a section of crisscrossed grooves and raised, healed, skin.

 _Last night, I kissed this scar,_ she thought; or maybe its neighbor. It was how the night began, innocently enough. Kaim returned from a short visit to the newly widowed, former Queen of Gohtza and he was having trouble unwinding. Eventually, Sarah offered a massage and instructed him to remove his shirt. Everything was normal. This was a normal routine when he found himself at her home for the half decade they've been dating. He sat on her bed and she worked her fingers into his stiff neck. She poured a little magic into her touch, hopeful it would help calm him down. The warm tingle of zephyr wasn't having the effect that she wanted, as Kaim just couldn't seem to rest. With quick thinking, she found one gruesome scar, an old slowly fading one, and laid soft lips on it.

He stilled and so the did the air too. He slowly turned towards her and there was such a sadness in his eyes that she felt compelled to draw him closer. She loved her Kaim with all her soul. There wasn't need for any sorrow here.

When their lips met, Sarah could tell there was something Kaim was holding back, so she pushed into him harder and harder. All of the sudden this felt different; these kisses felt desperate. This man could be away for weeks or a month and Sarah had never felt like she couldn't get him any nearer to herself before. No matter how close she got she felt this distance. This separation was as far as the ocean and she was ready to swim if need be. Their kissing clashed and nipped until there was a sharp pain, and Sarah suddenly needed more. She fought with her tongue and teeth, and Kaim gave the same effort in this battle to get closer, until she was so close to him that he felt fully inside her—

Sarah paused and pulled away. She closed her eyes, lungs heaving from their effort to keep her going and living in-between the heated war. What was she doing? She never felt this way before, like she needed to take this leap, this next step. Her body vibrated, too much pent-up energy just waiting to be released; but how exactly? What was the goal here? Where were they going?

She felt him move to her again, and her eyes opened when she felt his thumb brush against her lips. _Sorry_ , he had said.

She tilted her head and he looked down. Was it shame in his eyes? _I think I hurt you._

Sarah brought her hand up to her lip and didn't even flinch when her finger brushed over the small bump. She clicked her tongue and Kaim looked back up. This time she all but leaped into his lap. They fell over and Sarah was kissing his neck and Kaim was gasping into the light, and time was forgotten.

Sarah blinked back away from the night before and lifted her hand from his shoulders. _I'm an animal!_ The thought made her recoil. The sudden movement stopped the snores from below and Sarah stared straight into Kaim's cool blue eyes.

. . .

Waking up next to the love of his life was usually Kaim's favorite way to bring in the new day. When he felt Sarah move beside him, his eyes opened languidly, enjoying this _particular_ view, until he saw her stricken face. He could see the distress and embarrassment in her eyes and knew something wrong must have happened.

Immediately he let her go and tried to create some distance between them. Unfortunately, he fell asleep closer to the edge of the bed than he thought and over it did he go. There was a sharp pain in his right elbow and back of his head and it was a wonder he didn't knock over Sarah's pile of books on her nightstand. He didn't know what to hold first, but he didn't have long to grieve as Sarah's head poked out from the side of the bed and she shrieked. He was there uncovered, laid bare for her to see.

"G-g-get me my gown, please!" she cried, then rolled her reddened face into the pillow.

Kaim held his elbow as he looked around the room at their discarded clothing. Seeing her nightgown across the room by the door, and almost laughing gruesomely at how everything was playing out this morning, he picked it up and found his own clothing along the way back. With a little groan of pain he managed to pull on his own trousers, and outstretched his good arm with her sleeping clothes. "Here," he said softly, gaze averted.

There was a tug and he let it go. He was on his way to the door, elbow cradled in his hand, when he heard, "wait!"

He stopped and listened. He almost jumped when he felt her gentle hand on his back. Her cold fingers sending a shiver down his spine. The warm pulse of zephyr could almost have put him back to sleep. When she lifted her hand, and gave her a quiet word of thanks, and let himself out of her room.

. . .

At first, she thought he left town. He was no where to be found in her small, cluttered home, and she couldn't find him in the immediate vicinity of Tosca, but eventually found him talking to the mayor in the middle of town.

Sarah stood back and watched for a moment as they carried on what seemed to be a pleasant conversation. He seemed at ease, though there was a strain in his smile that only she could tell was there. Knowing a person for three hundred and five years allowed Sarah to almost memorize the smallest details, and with these last few years getting even closer than she could ever dream, she knew Kaim too well. When he caught her stare, he broke the conversation off and made his way to her.

He held out his hand. "Are you hungry?"

Sarah's stomach chose this moment to growl and she laughed a little lamely. He gave her a small smile and she took his hand in hers. The tavern usually had a very good breakfast spread, and the early morning workers would be filing in for their first break, so the food ought to be fresh and hot.

She was right. Everything smelled amazing. Kaim paid the man for their meal, and Sarah lifted her fork. Soon she was shoveling eggs and bread into her mouth, feeling almost embarrassed at how her hunger was showing. Kaim was smiling, but she noticed he was only picking at what he had in front of him. There must have been something on his mind and she was ready to get it out of him.

Wiping her mouth with her napkin, she said over the din of workers eating their own breakfast meal, "What's wrong?" When he couldn't greet her eyes with his own, she remembered that morning. How could she forget? She groaned and tucked her hands under her glasses to cover her eyes. "It was this morning, right? My goodness, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to see that!"

Sarah felt his hand on her arm, thumb brushing slowly across it. She lifted her head, and Kaim looked so serious. Her heart drummed in her chest and she could feel tears prick the edges of her eyes. She really must have embarrassed him with that face he was making. That thought formed an icy pit in her belly, opposite of the warm heat she felt in the early morning hours.

When one tear escaped and rolled down her cheek, Kaim blurted out without thinking about her question, "I did something last night, didn't I? Sarah, I should be the one apologizing. I should have asked what you wanted to do instead of just assuming last night—I won't do that again, I promise."

The way his eyes misted over shocked her. She ran through the events of last night again and couldn't recall anything that would permit Kaim panicking. That she knew of everything was consensual on her part, but before she could voice her confusion he was standing up. "I need some air." And he was gone.

. . .

Kaim managed to avoid Sarah for the day, finding odd jobs around town and even going into the Black Cave to take care of a monster that was making a ruckus. At the edges of twilight, he took a cool dip in the pool by the waterfall, and slowly made his way back to Sarah's home.

He paused outside of her front door. Did Sarah want him even coming in? He looked behind him towards the Inn. It would be very suspicious if he stayed the night there, and rumors grew and traveled fast in the small mountain community. He didn't want Sarah to go through all of that, so he found his key and let himself in.

All the lights were off, and the home was still. Sarah's bedroom door was closed tight. The guilt that ate up inside him eased a little. At least he knew he wasn't welcome to the bed, and he was okay with that. He locked the door and stretched out on her couch.

Kaim's mind would not let him quit.

The night before started off normally enough. Any time he came home from a trip, Sarah would massage his back to help him relax. The visit with the grieving Queen of Gohtza was bringing back unwanted memories of his own anguished past. Specifically, the wife and daughter he had lost in that terrible earthquake. The Queen lost her King to a hunting incident in Khent, and it was enough for her to lose her husband, but then to also be dethroned and thrown off her schedule she's known for the past three decades took a toll on the older woman. Kaim stayed to make sure her son had everything he needed in control, and that she had someone who would care enough to grieve with her, before making his own way home.

Kaim had felt the sadness in his bones and carried the long-ago memories in his muscle. Sarah's sudden and gentle kiss lifted him and stunned him at the same time. The scar she chose just happened to be one of a few he had received in that earthquake past. It was lifetimes ago that the scar was given to him, but the little gesture she left him opened a floodgate of love and admiration for the woman beside him. The feelings were overpowering and yet he was afraid to move. How could he show Sarah what she meant to him? There were many things they hadn't done yet, and he never felt rushed to start because they had eternity to try, but right now he could think of nothing else to show her the way his soul was crying out. How could he know she was ready for all of that? Or even wanted it?

He had turned to her, and she drew him into her embrace. Each kiss crashing against him heavier and heavier. Every moved she made he matched, his hesitation dissolving, and was she biting him? Things were starting to get muddled but she was moving closer and closer. So close, that their bodies were practically becoming one. His hands were on her hips pulling her tighter and she was shoving her chest into his with every desperate intake of air—

—and was this meeting his doing, or hers? Kaim couldn't get it straight. He couldn't think straight. All he knew was that if he let her go he would feel lost at sea. Her nose bumped into his and he accidently took her lip between his teeth, and she pulled away a few kisses after.

All the former hesitation came bubbling up when she moved away. What was he thinking? Sarah couldn't be ready for this next step into their relationship. _You need to ask her, Argonar. It's the only way you'll know. No more waiting._ He opened his eyes and saw the mark he made and his resolved dried up. He brushed a careful thumb across her lower lip. He didn't realize he bit her that hard, and all he could blurt out was, _sorry_.

She looked up at him, and he cast his eyes down _. I think I hurt you_ , he voiced quietly.

Sarah was full of surprises as she jumped at him and they tumbled backwards into her sheets. Kaim gasped when he felt her suck on his neck and felt his limbs melt into the mattress. Was this really happening?

Kaim must have fallen asleep sometime after his thoughts ended as the next time he opened his eyes it was morning. He rubbed his face and lifted his legs over the couch cushions and let himself wake up.

When he finally yawned and could stand to look around, he saw that Sarah's bedroom door was no longer shut and he could hear her moving. Feeling the guilt of yesterday still lingering and wanting to apologize for coming in late, he made his way over to the door.

Sarah lifted her head when he poked himself inside. Before he could open his mouth, she was reaching out for him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face into his chest. He found himself resting his cheek in her hair and there they stood for what seemed like minutes.

Wordlessly, she unwrapped herself from him and brought him to her bed. "You didn't come back."

"I'm sorry."

Sarah sighed. "I understand. The talk we had over breakfast yesterday, I think I need to apologize."

Kaim furrowed his brow. "You? Apologize?"

She nodded and pulled her hair behind her ear. She looked up, then looked down at her hands that were twisting in her dress. "I'm sorry for making you fall yesterday. I promise I didn't stare…for too long."

Kaim watched as her face flushed, but he was confused. "I fell?"

"Out of the bed yesterday morning."

"Oh. That's not a problem." Sarah looked up. He smiled. "I'm not shy, and it's not like you haven't seen me like that before."

"Kaim!" Sarah groaned into her hands. He chuckled and watched as her lips lifted a little at the sound of his voice. There was no lying, and he honestly didn't mind the attention at the time; despite his sore elbow and head. "I've only just _seen_ you like that, all out and-and _everything_ , just the night before!" Kaim laughed earnestly this time, and he was rewarded with a light shove.

"I should be the one apologizing to you."

"For what?" Sarah lifted her head and he tucked a curl of hair behind her ear. She looked confused and Kaim could feel the edges of remorse creep back up his back.

"I-I think I must have done something wrong. That night." Sarah tilted her head. She waited for him to continue. "When we woke up yesterday you looked…scared."

"Scared?"

"What did I do? Did I hurt you?" Kaim looked down, his own hands mirroring hers just a moment ago. He didn't stop wringing them until she placed her hand on his. He held onto it but didn't dare to look up. "I'm sorry, I should have paid more attention to what I was doing. I knew you were…you had never…done that before. Did I move to fast? Was I too rough?"

Sarah wiped away a tear and he laughed and stood up, sniffling and moving away. "I don't deserve that."

"Kaim, you did not hurt me." He didn't look her way. "I promise." He still couldn't move towards her. "Look at me."

Kaim felt her tug him closer and he sat down again. He looked up and was surprised to see her burning cheeks even redder, though her expression was determined. "I wasn't scared. I was embarrassed because I didn't have any clothes on and you were face first in my breasts."

There was a second and then a snicker. Kaim clapped a hand to his mouth but that didn't stop the bubble of mirth that had been popped. After a pout, Sarah cracked a smile and together they laughed until their lips hurt from the force of it all.

Sarah was the first to compose herself. She rained kisses on his smiling face and leaned her forehead onto his. "You are the best and kindest man, and I trust you with everything. That evening was perfect and so were you."

Kaim kissed her. "Sometimes I think I overthink things and block out details."

"Do you need reminded about what really happened?" Sarah bit the corner of her lip and Kaim felt himself stir.

"I could use a refresher," he said, voice growing deep. She squirmed, and he knew what effect his voice had on her. He laughed and pulled her into another kiss, reminiscing and cherishing that night they shared.

. . .

"There's no need to be sorry," she whispered, looking up. She had just finished kissing that spot on his neck again, and the way Kaim's body responded left him wondering if this night was moving too quickly.

When he looked down at Sarah, her cheeks were rosy and Kaim took this moment to hold her head in his hands. She was beautiful and so very thoughtful and kind, and if only he could find the words to say to prove she was perfect in every way.

She rolled her head so that her lips pressed into his palm, and he had to look away to keep from his own tears rolling out of his eyes. Kaim looked up again when she shifted, and he watched as she leaned over him, straddling his hips with her legs. She sat down on his lap, and he breathed in deep as his lower body twitched in reply to her. This angle was new, and it had his undivided attention.

"I know my massage didn't help much," she said next. He watched with wide eyes as she began to unbutton her gown. His mind went haywire, his heart hammered out a frantic rhythm, and he watched as she unbuttoned down further and further. An involuntary swallow attacked his throat, as he thought could just reach up and push a hand inside to feel her soft skin—

—but instead, Kaim took her hand into his own. "You don't have to." It was a good time as any to be sure she really wanted to go through with this.

"I want to."

"Sarah, I'm serious. There's no need to rush."

"We're not. Gods above we've waited long enough."

"Sarah—"

"I just want you to be happy!"

Kaim sat up at that. A mixture of displeasure and relief in her answer washed over him from head to toe. It was not what he wanted to hear, meaning that was not a sound agreement to go any farther tonight; but he was glad to know he wasn't going to step over any boundaries. He rebuttoned three buttons and rested his hands on her arms. "I am happy."

"You don't look like it." He tried to argue but she rested a finger on his lips. "Kaim, I've never been so sure of myself in this moment. I want this, and I know you want this."

"I don't want you to feel like this will make me happy." Kaim didn't move his hands. He was almost scared to with the way this was turning out. No false hope, he needed a clear answer. "I don't want you to do something you would regret later for me. I don't want to force you."

"You're not, and there are no regrets!" Sarah lifted her hands so that they cold hold onto his hips. "Kaim, I know you want to share yourself with me. Your…whole self. And I want to, too."

"You're sure?" Kaim slowly let his hands fall.

Sarah cupped his cheek, nodded resolutely. "You just need to show me what to do."

He kissed her then, soft and light. He couldn't believe this was happening and that Sarah was going to be all his and he was to be hers. He broke the kiss, but then went back in for two pecks more. She giggled, and he smiled. Hands lifted, and Kaim began to unbutton her gown once again. "Well, first you should probably take this off."

Her fingers were at his trousers, and she was flushed but responded, "yours, too."

"See? Learning already."

Sarah's laugh sang true, and soon their lips were together once more.


	20. Name

_I'm…cold? Is that what this feeling is?_

Eyes opened. Flashes of a distant world faded as the new blurry one came into focus. She lifted a hand and rubbed them across her eyes. The bleariness didn't go away, but her movements must have caught the eyes of another onlooker. She heard the rustling of someone trying to pull themselves up off the ground.

"Who're…" The voice was deep. "Why are we…?"

She lifted her body into a sitting position, searching for his voice, and finally noticed someone stand up. She rubbed her eyes again, too unfocused to take him in. There was another person, and maybe one— _two?_ she wondered—more after that stood up after him. She wobbled to her feet, head swimming. After a moment she couldn't help but to close her eyes slowly, almost letting her body fall back to the ground. Why was it so hard to stand? Why was everything unbalanced? _Why am I awake?_

The strangers stared at each other. Seconds of silence turned into long lengths of hollow breaths. She tried to focus on any one person, but her vision was spotty. Did she always have this hard of a time getting situated? Just trying to answer that question gave her a headache. She thought back to just moments before she opened her eyes, but it was like opening a door to an empty room. There was nothing there. No memory.

Voice groggy, she tried to ask, "do you remember...?" but paused when she looked up. Where was everyone going? Four people all turning one by one in different directions, without so much as an introduction to one another. "Um, wait!" She took a step forward and fell onto her knees. _Can I not remember anything?_ She was drawing up blanks. Eyes blinking, images turning black and white, sounds were muffled, and she couldn't tell what was happening to her.

 _Go back to sleep._

"Why can't I think?" The words drifted slowly from her mouth. "What is my name?"

It was like something clicked then as she asked herself that question. "Sarah Sisulart," she whispered before blacking out.

. . .

"I'm…I'm sorry can you say that again?"

"Your name? What is your name."

Sarah pushed her glasses up her face, eyes not leaving the nose—snout?—of the Khent soldier in front of her. She blinked a few times before remembering that she had not yet answered his question. "I, sorry, uhm—my name is Sarah. Sisulart." She bowed low.

"Sisulart, Sisulart." The soldier eyed her, a frown on his lips. She knew she messed up somewhere. Was she supposed to bow? Was it all the staring she did? She itched to write about the curious mortal in front of her. Were all those who lived in Khent like this? "You're on the list. Open the gate!"

Sarah straightened her body, remembered her manners and thanked the guard for letting her through. She would have to remember to write about this later. She didn't get permission to come all the way north just to ogle at the dog like appearance of the people in this country.

. . .

Sarah held the small child's cheeks between her hands. There was such awful commotion going on around them as the village was taken over, and Sarah couldn't bear to think that at any moment this girl would be torn away from her. The girl's eyes were wide and frozen in fear. Sarah pushed away any negative thoughts and held her a little tighter. "Don't look away from me. Don't forget my name! Say it!"

"S-Sarah!" The girl's tears streaked down her cheeks and Sarah quickly wiped them away with the pads of her thumbs.

"Good. If we get separated remember my name. Tell it to everyone you meet, and I'll find you!" The clanging of armor was getting closer, and Sarah knew her hiding spot would soon be found. She cursed herself for not bringing her staff into town today. "There is a lot of strength in a name. Don't forget mine, and never forget yours, do you understand, Thora?"

The girl nodded, and Sarah pulled her into a hug hoping to muffle the constant ring of metal hitting metal moving closer and closer to them.

. . .

"Sisulart?"

Sarah thought she might recognize the voice. It's not one she heard often. _Correction: I have heard it two times now_ , she reminded herself. Though it was one that she would not soon forget, if ever. She turned around and saw him: the immortal mercenary.

"Kaim." An easy smile spread to her lips. "What are you doing here in Saman?"

"Actually." Kaim looked down to the ground. "Here to visit you. I mentioned I was coming this way in my letter, but you never responded so…"

"Oh! I've been away in Gohtza! More like Khent. Well, in-between!" Sarah walked closer to him, and he finally looked back up. She could tell he wasn't quite reaching her eyes. Was he embarrassed about the possibility of her not being in Tosca when he stumbled through? "It's okay! Looks like we both arrived just in time."

"I suppose so."

"It'll be kind of nice to have a companion to travel the Black Cave with."

"You do it by yourself?"

"Oh, so many times. I know it like the back of my hand. In fact, I escort a number of Toscans and other visitors through the cave about once every two months or so." Sarah smiled, and steered them towards said cavern. "I'm part of the reason why people can safely travel through to Saman. If we leave now, we'll be in Tosca within a few hours."

The travel was quick. With Kaim's sword and the few bits of offensive magic Sarah had learned in her six hundred years of living, they made it safely to the mountain village. Sarah sat down in the grass before her home. Kaim pulled out his water pouch and offered her a sip. "Thank you," she said, before taking a long draught.

"What took you to Gohtza?"

Sarah wiped her mouth and passed the sack back to him. "Oh. Just some research to help the king." She paused.

Kaim sat down next to her, and when she looked over, he was looking at her expectantly. Normally, in her letters, she wouldn't be able to keep quiet about any type of adventuring, but this time it was different. She couldn't fight the blush that came to her face as she thought about her, happily short, journey.

"Did something happen?"

"Nothi—nothing unusual!" she seemed to say a little too quickly. Kaim seemed to chuckle, and she let out a sigh. Her higher than normal pitch giving herself away. "I guess a little unusual."

"Are you willing to share?"

Sarah looked down at the grass beneath her. She absentmindedly picked a few blades as she recollected her memory of the last month and a half. Just as Kaim opened his mouth again, no doubt to change the subject, Sarah said, "I went there to help Gohtza and Khent with a mysterious weather pattern that has suddenly hit them. Extremely cold weather at this time of the year is a little unheard of."

"Doesn't sound too abnormal for you."

"And, well. I guess I almost married the Gohtzan prince."

There was a moment of silence before a very pointed snort came out of her friend. With a, mostly mocking, gasp, she playfully elbowed the mercenary next to her. "Rude."

"I just can't see you becoming royalty, Sisulart," he said between another chuckle.

"Well, now I feel compelled to go and change my answer!" She huffed and crossed her arms, earning yet another laugh from Kaim. Her lips quirked up, but she still acted offended for a moment more.

"Sorry, sorry," he said leaning around to look at her face. "Maybe if you worked on your manners."

"Oh, ha-ha." Sarah did finally crack a smile. "Me working on my manners. A laugh." Kaim did laugh again, and she joined in this time. When their giggles subsided, Sarah nudged Kaim with her knee, but suddenly couldn't help to be more interested in the grass below her again. "And, Kaim?"

"Hmm?"

"You can call me Sarah." She looked up then, smiling softly. "I don't mind."

He blinked a few times, before granting a little upwards pull of his own lips. "Okay."

. . .

"And you're…?"

"Sarah—"

"Sisulart," she interjected, cutting off her husband. The man double checked the names on his list, gave the couple an odd look before stepping aside and allowing them onto the boat. Sarah thanked the sailor and pulled Kaim along. It was going to be just a short boat ride to the neighboring city, but Sarah wanted to make sure they got good seats, so she rushed them inside.

She found a window booth, took off her sunhat setting it on the table, and pulled off her pack and tucked it under the seat. As she slid into her seat looking out to the beautiful sea, she sighed and rested her head in her hands.

"You do know I was going to say Sisulart."

Sarah turned just slightly towards Kaim. He put his own pack away and sat down across from her. He held his hand palm up and Sarah didn't waste any time to put her own on top. His thumb ran over her knuckles, pausing to admire the gleaming ring in the sunlight. Her own breath hitched, as if the reminder that only a few short weeks before they had exchanged rings, took her breath away. "I know."

She squeezed his hand and faced the window again. "I think I was just too excited to get onto the boat."

After another ten minutes, the ship blew out its horn and they were under way. As the boat rocked on the waves, Sarah pulled her head away from her hand, and turned herself fully toward the man in front of her. She was able to look at Kaim in profile and admired him for it. She found herself thinking she was lucky that the man she loved and chose to spend her days with just happened to be so handsome. She voiced this opinion and it earned her a roll of his eyes. She laughed.

"I guess I can say the same."

"You guess?" Sarah's face broke out into a wider smile. " _I_ guess I am a handsome woman."

"You know what I mean."

Sarah giggled again. Kaim cracked another smile, turning back to the window. In the distance the land was growing closer, and soon they would be off this ship and finding their hotel. Sarah watched the ship cut through the water, but eyes wandered away to look at Kaim again.

A thought crossed her mind, and she just needed to ask. "Do you mind?"

"Mind?" Kaim looked at her again. She chewed on her lip for a moment suddenly unsure how to ask her burning question. "Mind that my wife is forgetful that I can't exactly read her mind?"

Sarah chuckled, shaking her head. "No. Sorry. I mean, do you mind that I didn't take your last name?"

Kaim looked at her for a moment, then tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Not at all."

"It's not common."

"Which is why the sailor checking names must have been confused."

"It really doesn't bother you?"

Kaim shook his head and leaned back against the booth. "It really doesn't."

"Why?" Sarah leaned back also, relaxing a little after feeling the strain of holding herself so upright. Kaim would answer truthfully and knew he would never do or say anything on purpose to hurt her feelings, so she was curious as to why he had never mentioned or questioned that she chose to keep her maiden name.

To Sarah her name was her life's work. Every book she had ever written, any history that was ever recorded by her was signed Sarah Sisulart or S. Sisulart or any other combination of Sarah and Sisulart. To take almost eight-hundred- and ninety-years' worth of Sisulart away made Sarah almost nauseous. She took a lot of pride in her name. It was also her one connection back to their old world, and she'd feel a little lost without it.

Most people who were introduced to the newlyweds always questioned them, and Sarah chose to not tell the truth at all—as that would probably just confuse the poor mortals even more—but leave the people they met with a mystery. But now her brain buzzed with the question and found that she wouldn't be able to focus until Kaim answered it.

Of course, her immortal husband took his time to answer her burning question. It was a few minutes before he said, "There are too many Argonars and not enough Sisularts."

"That's really not your answer is it?" Sarah frowned. Kaim smiled, showing that he was kidding, and she waited again.

He sighed. "It really doesn't matter to me what your name is, you'll always be my wife. Forever, unfortunately." At that they both laughed. Kaim then leaned forward a little. "If you truly, honestly, wanted me to take your last name I would have done it without hesitation."

"Really?" Sarah replied a little skeptically.

"Without any hesitation," he repeated, leaning in a little more, noses almost touching. Without a moment's notice or looking away from Kaim's face; Sarah picked up her hat from the table, giving them a little privacy, and kissed him quickly on the corner of his mouth. As soon as she broke away, Kaim gently lifted her chin and kissed her a little deeper, before she set the hat on top of her head, a new blush forming on her cheeks.

When the boat came to a wobbling stop, and they had collected their things, Sarah righted her hat on her head and held out her hand. "Come along, Mr. Sisulart."

With a laugh, Kaim replied, "as you wish, Mrs. Sisulart."

* * *

It's summertime, and I figured I should update this story! I wonder how many chapters I will make?


	21. A Long Wait

It was hot, the air was unusually sticky, and Sarah wasn't expecting such weather on this late spring day. She also wasn't expecting to be woken up to a very loud bang. Her eyes opened in panic and it took her a moment to realize that her village was under attack.

She fumbled for her glasses, grabbed her staff, and launched herself outside. In the early morning hours there usually wasn't a lot to see in the village of Tosca. While the sun was up and bright, there wasn't ever that much activity going on in this sleepy mountain place; but this morning there happened to be a fire spreading across the field from her, and it didn't take long to find out the reason.

Sarah rushed into action, not even caring that she wasn't in the most decent of clothing, as she ran her way across the town. There were strange men rushing about, and still more coming up the hill. With her great knowledge of defense—and, also, the fact that she knew the layout of Tosca like the back of her hand—she only took two seconds to construct a wall around the village, sealing those bad men out, and sealing the rest of them in.

The intruders who managed to be on the inside of the wall noticed her staff and steered themselves in her direction. Bad choice on them. She was able to deflect their swords and clubs with her magic and used the momentum of her swing to cast them into the air. She silently thanked the Numaran Queen for her black magic training and the practicing materials she leant her, as she sent her attackers through the air and back over her wall.

Sarah didn't have time to assess her actions or think about how much she could have hurt the invading mortals. The fire that had overtaken a home had started to lick its way through the village and she needed to take it out. Villagers were in a panic trying to rescue children as she realized what buildings were under the fire's siege. Sarah summoned the water composite spell and fought the devastation that laid onto the schoolhouse.

.

"This is an outrage!"

Sarah tended to a small child as the village leader stood in the makeshift infirmary. There were moans coming from all corners, and Sarah was trying her best to see to everyone. Those few who knew how were tending to as many as they could, and Sarah hoped it was enough. "The children were hurt!"

"We're trying our best, sir!" Sarah stood up and mopped her brow with a rag she kept in her pocket. With the warm spring day on top of all the bodies, healthy and not, it was too hot to be yelling. Instead, she turned the distraught mayor of Tosca towards the doors. "Did you need me?"

"Yes! I need to speak to you, Sarah."

They stepped outside. The aftermath of the explosion left five houses charred, and the school building burned to the ground. They were lucky that school was only just beginning and not everyone had arrived just yet, but the damage was still done. Sarah grimly looked at the wall she set up and eyed the pirates that took post outside of it. She motioned her hand in a circle, building the wall farther up just to be safe. "Sarah, will that barrier last?"

Sarah nodded, tearing away from the gruesome mortals. "Yes. The only way they will be able to get through is if they find the _chink in the armor_ , so to speak, and I can assure you I hid it well." Sarah turned her body away from the magical barrier and the men outside of it. She decided to keep to herself the undisclosed information that if she died all hope would be lost. She will need to remind herself to take care of her body and not collapse in this duty to her Tosca. _Easier said than done_ , she thought to herself.

"Anything on your end? Any word from anyone?"

The mayor shook his head. "There is no way to get messages in or out. Those pirates have taken the mountain as well as the Black Cave it looks like."

"This was a planned attack then, if they knew those were our only ways out." Sarah frowned. With the magic used to keep the wall up and running, and the magic she needed to use to help the village of Tosca, she would not be able to risk using any more magic to send a message out to Aneira. No hope on getting in touch with Seth. There was also no way for her to get a message out to Kaim, and she hadn't heard from him in a good five months. He could quite possibly be anywhere in the world now, and she didn't know when she'd get to see him again. It would be nice to have a mercenary on their side, so she made a mental note to try and find a way to send out a letter. "We need to look at what provisions we have. I'm so sorry I wasn't able to move the wall out farther."

Sarah barely had a moment's notice to throw up the wall around Tosca. At the time, she was concentrating on the fire and the pirates that were ransacking their homes. It wasn't until after the village was secure that she noticed their crops, their livelihood, were on the other side of the wall she built. She could not move the wall without risk of another pirate wave to come through, so all crops they had yet to harvest lay in wait at the pirates' mercy. She was disappointed in herself, though tried not to take it too hard.

"I've done some checking around with some of the villagers." The mayor looked a little saddened. "There's not much in storage. Maybe two months before we run out of food."

Sarah rubbed her face. "We need to ration then. Hopefully Saman or even Gohtza will see that we need help sooner rather than later."

. . .

It was getting to the end of the third month since the attack on Tosca. Summer had set itself in, but this did not deter the pirates that took over the mountain. Sarah knew they were plotting to stay here until the village couldn't support themselves any longer and they could take over. She was afraid it had just about gotten to that point. The pirates had all but destroyed their crops, enjoying every fruit and vegetable they stole from them, and Sarah was afraid of the famine that was to ensue even if they were to survive this. Their stored food was almost out, and their medicine too. If someone didn't get here soon there would be nothing they could do about it.

Sarah had seen the pirates do their worst to any travelers who happened to come through the mountain only to realize that Tosca was not safe anymore. She advised the village to try their hardest to ignore them, but it was getting tougher to do so when the cruel men found victims to tease and torture. Unfortunately, it would exert too much energy to charm the wall to also be soundproof. She only wished she had the extra energy to seal out the awful things they could hear throughout the night. Even going so far as to wish she had some of those potions Gongora had offered her all those years ago. She found herself exhausted and a little depressed. There was still no word from Kaim, and no help from Gohtza. She was left to wonder if the silence from the King meant that Tosca was all but forgotten. Instead, Sarah sighed at night and covered her ears with a pillow.

Though maybe it was better that the wall wasn't soundproof. It was the middle of the day, and the immortal woman was on her way down the small hill towards the edges of Tosca to check on the status of the barrier and for any weak parts that needed adjusted. Sarah found that she couldn't ignore one plea for help in a husband and wife who were on their way back from a honeymoon, and one other person who seemed to have tagged along on their journey up the mountain. Sarah remembered sending off the happy couple only days before the attack, and dropped her staff and everything else in her hands to run to their aid.

She was lucky enough to be close to the edge of the wall when the surprised couple reached the town through one of the few paths that lead through the mountain. Apparently, the pirates weren't fully patrolling that path, and it was just as well that they weren't, or else Sarah wouldn't have been able to do anything. The wife was grabbed instantly by one pirate, who was yelling to another group of them a short distance away. Sarah could see the fear in the young woman's eyes as she was torn away from her husband.

Sarah's arm swiped through her own barrier, making a hole large enough that she could stomp through, and seized the pirate on the arm. He was astounded that she could so easily go through the wall and let go of the young woman instantly. She ran to her husband, and Sarah had to yell out, "go through that space I just made!" before the threesome jolted into action and bumbled through to the other side.

The pirate now had his hands on her though, and his mates were running towards them. Sarah could feel the queasiness in her stomach at the realization that she was now in danger and weaponless. If she fell here, if the pirates found out what would happen if she died or lost enough energy to weaken the wall, then all hope for Tosca would be lost.

She screamed out, hoping to distract them for a moment as she used both hands to send the pirate to the ground. She found herself tumbling into the grass with him, and used it to conjure up a small shake to the earth. Her black magic without a staff was very much useless; though the sudden fall and tremble to the ground beneath her captor allowed Sarah the second she needed to shake herself loose of the vile man.

She launched herself backwards through the hole in the wall, but just as she leaped in she felt a red-hot pain slice up against her right side. She cried out, but before she could hit the ground, she reformed the wall. The pirates ran headlong into it, becoming a pile of limbs on the ground in front of the group of four, who were now safety inside the wall.

Some of the pirates cursed out, and the others laughed at the stupidity of themselves. One, the pirate she fell to the ground with, stretched a finger out at Sarah as she gathered herself up, screaming, "We'll get you, you witch-bitch!"

Sarah turned her head away and started her limp towards where she left her staff. She felt drained and knew she couldn't use her white magic right away without fear of weakening herself more and thus weakening the wall. She only made it halfway to the wooden weapon before she had to stop. Her side hurt and she knew that the moisture she was feeling wasn't only just sweat.

"Miss Sarah!" The young woman she saved came running to her. She maneuvered Sarah so that her arm could hold up the immortal woman. Sarah welcomed the extra help up the small hill to the village. "You're bleeding!" she said in shock.

"I need…bandages." Sarah collapsed onto the ground, just a few feet away from her staff. She concentrated on breathing in and out. Meanwhile, two men—the husband and the new visitor— gathered her up. They rushed her off to the makeshift infirmary and laid her down on the first available cot.

"What happened?" the mayor of Tosca asked. He was on his way to ask of the health of those still injured when he saw Sarah being rushed in.

"She saved us. We were on our way back home, and we didn't know! We didn't know…" Sarah could hear the wife's gentle sobs.

Sarah moaned out, "I need a bandage! Please, I can't." She gasped. She looked at the mayor, making eye contact with him. The villagers in Tosca knew about Sarah's immortality, of course, but what they did not know could possibly kill them all. "If…if I _die_ —" she made sure to say with an emphasis, since there was a visitor amongst them. She repeated, "if I die, then so does the wall. Even though I would…it would be too late."

Sarah knew the mayor understood when she saw him pale and rushed into action. He grabbed one of the healers, relaying the information. The woman nodded and set to work on Sarah. She shooed away the small group around her and peeled off Sarah's blouse. She could not tell if the cut she received was deep, but it did hurt when her shirt was torn away from her body. Sarah gasped, but tried not to move. "Miss Sarah, I want to let you know that luckily it is a clean cut, but we need to get it stitched and wrapped up now. You'll have a scar."

Sarah couldn't talk. The pain wasn't unbearable, but she was just so tired from the black magic used. So instead, she nodded and concentrated on her breathing again.

.

Later in the afternoon, the husband and wife and visitor came to see her where she lay in the infirmary. The woman tearfully thanked her again and again, eventually leading the husband to move his wife back outside before Sarah started crying too. The other man lingered, waiting to be alone with her. She awkwardly adjusted her glasses. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry, ma'am. I just needed to be alone with you for a minute." He bowed, and Sarah's brow furrowed. "I have a message for you."

"Is it from Kaim?" Sarah could feel her heart hammering in her chest. She hadn't heard from him in such a long time and she could welcome some news from him in this dark situation they were in.

"Who? I'm sorry, no. It's from the King of Gohtza. Since…since you seem to be the strongest one here, I thought it appropriate to hand it over to you." The messenger pulled out an official letter. Sarah sighed, but thanked the man anyway. She'd just have to hope for Kaim to show up here soon. She waited for him to bow again and leave her alone before unsealing the wax and opening the note; reading the short letter with speed.

She groaned and wondered how her situation could get any worse.

. . .

Kaim practically dragged himself into the tiny village at the base of the mountain. He'd been away from Tosca eight and a half months now. That was five months longer than he thought he would be for, but the King of Uhra needed a lot more help than Kaim had bargained for. It didn't help that he ran into trouble on his way back home, and the surprise battle left him weary and hungry. His stomach growled and he thought to himself, _I could go for any of Sarah's cooking right now_. Somehow, the thought left him even more empty inside. He missed her too much to even tease her properly.

He wondered how she was fairing in this hot summer. It was an unexpected heat that started at the end of spring and continued ruthlessly on, and he smiled to himself when he thought how much she'd have dread it. As he was passing by shops in the little town, he had half the mind to buy her a silly hat. The hats were outrageously ugly, but he knew in his heart Sarah would love any of them. He set a hand on his hip thinking, but then paused in its tracks.

Kaim and Sarah had been together for a little more than one-hundred and fifty years. He blinked, realization dawning on him. It hit him just what it meant to be immortal lovers. To never have to worry about another's health—save odd illnesses and jungle fevers— and that Sarah couldn't be taken from him too early. She was his true soulmate, if he could say he had a soul to share. A little guilt crept up his spine, and he found himself frowning and thinking about his long life before this point. It wasn't that he didn't love or appreciate his mortal wives of past—no, he loved them and would always look fondly on their short existences together—but that everything was leading up to that fateful day he met Sarah on that cliffside near Tosca. Another immortal. A true companion.

He looked up at the hats again. Silly hats weren't the proper gift to give to someone who could tolerate him for so long. Not when that person really changed his heart. He didn't think he could be so _completely_ in love with anyone, and the best part about it was that she was his to have until the end of time. And even if he doubted or questioned it sometimes— _a silly thought_ , Sarah would have reminded him—she really did love him just as much, if not more by the way she expressed herself through her actions and letters. He could feel himself relax just thinking about her, and he knew that he couldn't let her go. He moved past the hat shop.

 _Sarah deserves five hundred damn hats for putting up with me. One-hundred and fifty years and I'm just now thinking about this,_ he chided himself. The only gift he could give to Sarah at this point in their relationship was the promise that it was permanent. That she could have him until the world itself was over. His stomach interrupted his plans, though. First things were first. He had to survive his walk home. _Home to Tosca_ , he reminded himself with a smile.

Just a few buildings away was a tavern. Kaim had visited this place before and was friendly with the owner. Said owner noticed him right away, and they chatted as Kaim placed an order. The place itself was a little empty, it was only a midweek afternoon, with only two other people sitting at the bar with him. The wait was not long, and Kaim made sure to remember to tip very well for the service. Halfway through his meal, he overheard the couple next to him talking. The man was holding the newspaper.

"Real shame about what's going on in the mountains," he started, his eyes flicking through the article.

"What's the latest?"

"Says here that even after a three-month standoff, that little mountain village is just doomed to be overrun by pirates. King won't—or _can't_ as it says here in the paper—send reinforcements. Guess he's got some issues going on himself."

Kaim had a sinking feeling of what the two were talking about. There was only one mountain village south of Gohtza. With a small sigh, he set down his fork, and turned to the couple at the bar. "May I ask, what happened?"

The man jumped at his voice, but quickly recovered. "Oh, s-sure. Uh, pirates have just about taken up this little village in the mountains. Actually, they've taken over the whole mountain. Can't get nothin' through that little port on the other side of it. It's surprising they have withheld this attack for so long! But I'm almost afraid those pirates are either gonna get tired of it and come down this way, or win that village." The man turned to his wife. "Maybe we should leave," he added.

Kaim could feel his pulse quicken. "What's the village's name?" Of course, he already knew the answer.

The woman piped up. "Taslo?"

"Tosca. And it would seem—"

But Kaim was throwing his meal pay and tip onto the counter and practically running out of the bar.

. . .

Kaim moved in the pitch blackness. Stealth was going to get him to where he needed to go, but he was only halfway up the mountain when he started to come across groups of pirates instead of individual patrols. With several hours till dawn, he used the darkness of night to sneak around the pirates, killing them only if he couldn't avoid it. He decided to use his dagger, leaving his sword strapped to his hip. Maneuvering was better this way.

All he could think about was Sarah, hoping that she was unhurt and alright. By the couple's report, it sounded like Tosca was still hanging on; though for how much longer, he wasn't sure. He didn't doubt Sarah's abilities at all, especially since she got training from the best of the best black magician, but even hunger could weaken an immortal's body to uselessness. To die by hunger, Kaim knew, was the vilest of deaths. To be reborn still hungry was the worst feeling he'd ever felt, and he'd never wish it upon any of his enemies. He cursed his latest trip to Uhra with every tiptoed step he took. If only he was around the mountain sooner.

Every move on this rocky path had to be measured exactly; and with eight hundred years of mercenary work, he far outmatched the silence and strength of these thugs. It was almost too easy to take these groups out without a sound. When he was done with one group he'd take a moment to drag their bodies, lifeless or not, to the shadows as not to alert anyone else right away. He was sure to make it up to the mountain before any of the living ones were to wake up. With his dagger clutched in his hand, he continued his climb up the mountain.

Before he even reached Tosca, he could hear the buzzing of the wall. Kaim sighed in relief. It sounded strong, which _had_ to mean Sarah was also going strong and that sent so much peace to his mind. As he rounded the corner, he could see that they were going to be in some trouble. It was a very large group of pirates. More than what Kaim could handle just on his own if he was going to take them down in one shot.

He figured that the only way he'd be able to do this is if he had Sarah's help. Tosca itself was still sleeping. There could be no signal sent without alerting those around him. Along the mountain there seemed to be a curve that lay hidden from prying eyes. Kaim sheathed his dagger, moved to the opposite wall, and started his slow climb around. When he dropped down he was comforted to find that this spot behind a boulder hid him well enough away. He looked at the wall in front of him, hands on hips.

Kaim wasn't a leaner of magic, but Sarah did teach him a few things to help himself out. He concentrated on his hand, set it against the barrier, and channeled some inner energy. He could feel the thrum of the wall's magic enter his body. Taking a deep breath, he focused and pressed his palm flat. It sent out a little spark, unnoticeable to the untrained eye. He could only hope it was enough to alert one woman on the other side.

He waited a few minutes before trying again. If he did this too many times without any breaks between it would exhaust him. Kaim did not have time for that.

. . .

As daylight drifted closer, Sarah could feel her body's automatic rise to wakefulness. Something she wasn't expecting was a vibrant pulse that started from her toes and moved lazily to the core of her belly. She didn't think anything of it, until she felt it again a few minutes later. Groggy, she put on her glasses and went in search of a robe.

The thrum happened two more times before she made her way carefully outside. Staff in hand, she scanned her wall. It was faint, but there was a little spark in one of the corners of the village. Curious, she made her way down as quietly as she could. She did not want to alert the pirates. They've started to watch her in the daylight these past two days, whispering amongst themselves. She found it to be terrifying and did not want them investigating her now as she walked through the early morning. As she came closer to the spark, she summoned a tiny flame as it was still very dark, and she didn't want to be alarmed by whatever was summoning her.

She paused when she saw an outline of a man. Adjusting her glasses, the chilling awareness of a stranger washed away her tiredness. She slowly approached and it wasn't until he moved into her light just a little that she felt immense relief. There stood Kaim.

She almost threw her staff away to run to the wall, but she thought better of it. She left the little ball of fire hover over her shoulder as she closed the distance to the barrier. There he was, well and unhurt, and she couldn't even touch him. So close, and yet so far away. Instead, she placed her palm where his still lay, itching to feel the warmth of his skin in hers instead of the cool vibration of the barrier between them. It had been too long, almost nine months too long. "Kaim," she breathed.

Sarah watched as his hand tried to find purchase in hers. He frowned, and she could feel the tears spring to her eyes. She sniffled and he tensed, taking it the wrong way. "Sarah. Are you hurt?"

Before she could stop herself, she unconsciously set her free hand under her right breast, close to where her wound lay. Kaim noticed, nodded to her hand. "Let me see."

"It's nothing."

"Let me see."

Sarah hesitated. She knew she was going to get reprimanded either way and made the decision that now was not the time for it. "Kaim, we have not a moment to waste. We need out. We've run out of food and supplies. Even I can't keep going like this. I don't even have the energy to keep this up and make an opening for you to come in. That shouldn't even _take_ very much magic."

Kaim furrowed his brow and crossed his arms. He sat in quiet for a minute before saying, "I need you to take down the wall and make a diversion. These pirates won't notice a surprise attack this morning, especially since I've been taking out their patrols on my way up here. Hit them with whatever you can. I'll come up from behind."

It wasn't the most well thought out plan; but Kaim sounded so very sure, and Sarah knew it was now or never. She believed in his experience as a mercenary, and she just knew she needed to place her trust in him. She nodded grimly, willing to try his strategy. "I'll see if there is anyone who can help on this side. Give me a signal that you're ready, and I'll make the wall fall."

She turned away and didn't look back. There were people starting to stir in the village so Sarah took a moment to talk to them. She had them run to every building and house and let its occupants know that they needed to stay inside and bar the doors and to see if there were any who could hold a weapon up. It only took minutes to get the word around, and once she saw that everyone was inside safely or out ready to strike in the shadows, she made her way to the middle of the town.

She found Kaim and made eye contact with him. She gave him a nod, and he readied his sword. The pirates themselves were only just starting to wake up as the sun crest the mountains. Bright light was starting to hit the edges of the village. Sarah, without making herself too obvious, slowly raised her staff up and took a deep breath in. As she lowered it to the ground, she let the breath out with it. She felt the effects of the barrier slowly fall away with her staff, and a newfound energy slowly fill her up. It wasn't a lot of energy that returned to her with the fallen wall, but it was enough to cast some black magic.

She slowly sat herself on the ground and concentrated. She didn't have a lot of time to spare, so fire would just have to do.

. . .

Kaim felt the effects of the wall leaving. The noise his ears were trained to, turning into silence, and the hum that buzzed the earth beneath him slowly seeped away. He watched as the barely noticeable threads unweaved themselves, leaving nothing between the love of his life and these dreadful pirates. He felt this heart race. How long until someone noticed? He had to be prepared to strike early if need be.

It took a few minutes for the wall to come down fully, and he watched as Sarah sat down on the ground, her long robe folding around her. After a few agonizing minutes, with the pirates still not noticing the wall gone. She made eye contact with Kaim, and he knew she was ready to aim her spell. With a nod and a raise of his sword, he let her know that he was aldo ready. She held out her staff in front of her, aiming straight at what he thought might be the captain's tent; and within a second, they watched as all chaos broke loose.

The fire and explosion caught the pirates by surprise, just as he predicted. They came out of their tent in shock and terror, yelling orders to each other and trying to rile themselves out of sleep. They ran this way and that, all too distracted to see that the wall was down, and that Sarah was sitting right in front of them. Kaim was glad she took the moment to sit down as that made it harder for the enemy to see her. A few Toscan villagers, those who maybe had fought a battle or two in their short lives, met up with Kaim and they secretly went around the enemy camp. The confusion made it easier to get around the pirates. They went around taking care of the vile mortals with ease.

When the smoke cleared, and the sun fully out, Kaim saw that several pirates still lay living on the ground. They were not going to move any, but he couldn't risk the safety of Sarah and Tosca by letting them live on. This was his reasoning for taking a mortal life, and he found himself to be completely okay with it. He breathed in deep, preparing to cut the life out of them, but was stopped when he heard a commotion. Tosca came bursting to life, with villagers running out of their homes with rope and any other material to tie up those enemies who were still breathing. Kaim took a step away and let those few pirates be captured instead. He smiled a little to himself. He often forgot the fighting spirit of those mortals he lived with.

Sword cleaned and strapped to his hip, he dragged himself out of the group, though not before receiving a few hugs and slaps on the back. The village missed him just as much as he missed it, though there was someone who was missing that he needed to see the most.

He found Sarah still on the ground, breathing in deep and breathing out slow, head in hands. When he finally reached her, she looked up and smiled. That was all he needed.

He dropped down onto his knees, held her face in his hands, and crushed his lips to hers. Normally, he would care about any public display of affection; often feeling a little embarrassed to kiss this deeply outside of their home, and going as far as to shoo even his dear Sarah away when she was getting too frisky out in the open, but for now all he saw was her. It was like he couldn't get enough. They would stop for air, but only for a moment before he was crashing into her again. And again, and again.

She leaned them down into the grass without breaking away, and Kaim found his hands holding her even closer. She pulled away with a laugh when he accidently tickled her side in his movements. The sound she made was heavenly and it almost brought him to tears. He missed her so much. He looked into her eyes, placed one hand on her cheek, and before he could even think about it, asked: "marry me?"

She stared at him. "W-what?"

"Marry me?" He wasn't going to let her get out of this one. He grasped her hip again with his left hand. She gasped a little, then giggled quietly. "Marry me?"

She smiled and pushed her glasses up her nose. Her face was painted a pretty pink, and she wasn't quite looking at his eyes. "Well…it would seem an awful thing if I should refuse you after you asked three times." He didn't think her smile could get any wider as she laughed again, and nodded.

"Really?" Kaim's smile matched hers. She turned to look at him a little shyly. "Sarah, you would?"

"Yes!" and her lips were on his again.

Kaim hugged her close, a little too hard, as they were interrupted by her sudden hiss. He immediately sat her up, tugging her robe out of the way. There was a bandage wrapped around her chest that dipped underneath her night shirt. He glanced up and noted that she was avoiding his gaze. "When did this happen."

"The other day."

"Why didn't you heal yourself?"

"Other people needed it more than I did."

"Sarah, if you don't take care of yourself—"

"I am okay, Kaim!" Sarah lifted a hand to his face, silencing the lecture she was sure to receive. "I am alive. Tosca is safe. You're home with me."

Those three things were really what was most important he decided. He dipped his head, letting this discussion fall away for the time. Standing up, and offering to help her up as well, he pulled her robe closed. After she was all secure, he tucked her hair behind her ears and placed a kiss on her forehead. With her hand in his, she led him to where they kept those still healing from the first attack.

There they found the mayor assisting in what he could. When he saw them walk through the door, he smiled. "Kaim! You've returned! And just in time!"

Kaim shook the man's hand. "I heard my home was being held up and had to come help." What he couldn't ignore was just how many of those injured were children laying in the makeshift cots around the room. He was horrified just looking at the number and the injuries. He could feel Sarah squeeze his hand. He suddenly understood now why she only did what she could for herself. "It looks like we still need some help."

"Yes." The mayor looked around him and sighed. "We're going to need to make a run to Saman—"

"I'll go," Kaim interrupted, gently. "I can lead through the Black Cave the fastest. Give me a few helping hands and we'll go get supplies."

"There isn't any way we could ask you for that! There's going to be a famine, what with our crops destroyed. And-and money, and—"

"Jameson." This time Sarah was the one who stopped him. She placed a hand on the man's arm. "Do not think of money. I will pour out my life savings if I need to! Tosca is my home, and my home needs help. You do not owe me anything because I already owe you my life. There has not been any other place I'd rather be! No one else who would accept me—us—for who we are." Sarah smiled, and Kaim could see the mayor visibly relax. "So, don't worry."

"I cannot thank you two enough."

"Just let us live here in peace, and you don't have to thank us." Kaim was shaking his hand again. The mayor promised to round up a few villagers to help Kaim escort the leftover pirates and make it to the port town for supplies. He left the two of them to themselves after. Sarah looked to be ready to help, rolling up her sleeves to her night robe, but Kaim stopped her. He directed her to an unoccupied area and moved the curtain around them so that they could not be seen. "I need to clean out that wound so you can heal it correctly, and don't," Kaim said, holding up his hand. Sarah had already let out a whine. "Do not say anything because you need to be in top shape to help these people."

Sarah let the argument die on her lips. He was right. With a nod of her head, Kaim tugged her robe off. He turned to wash his hands as she carefully took off her top and unwrapped the bandages. When he turned around he couldn't help but to give her an exasperated sigh. The wound went from near the top of her shoulder all the way down her rib cage. It looked angry and red, but luckily not infected. Spots were still bleeding, as some of the cut was deeper and must have reopened when she moved. He could tell that it was a sword that got her, though she stepped out of the worst of the swing. With one arm, she held her chest away from the wound and the other she lifted away from her side. She was in pain, he knew, but she was putting on a very brave face. Kaim found some antiseptic and a clean cloth and set to work cleaning it out.

He noticed a few tears running down her face as time went on, but she was trying to keep her body still. He turned and kissed them away and she let out a shaky breath. "I didn't think it would hurt so much," she said with a sniffle.

"Luckily, it's not infected, just only a little irritated. Needs to be cleansed, the stitches pulled out, and then your white magic should put everything back together." Kaim finished cleansing and allowed her arm to rest. The next part was going to hurt more, so he needed to distract her a little. After a moment she lifted her arm again. "You know that scar I have on my upper thigh?"

Sarah nodded. "I remember the first time I saw it." She blushed a little.

He kissed her cheek at her embarrassment. He started to take out the stitches very carefully, and Sarah groaned and shut her eyes tightly. He continued, "I died from that wound. It was deep, though, and infected. Whoever cut me must have had poison or something on their knife. It spread to my heart, and I didn't have a chance." Kaim chuckled deep when Sarah's eyes popped open and looked at her wound. "Don't worry. This is not like that one."

"You died?" She held onto his shirt, and he laughed a little when she realized she let go of herself. Sarah's blush deepened at the sudden exposure. He teased her, letting her know that they were perfectly alone despite the noises around them. She playfully tugged on his shirt, and then let him go to place her arm in front of her chest again.

Kaim looked at the wound from every angle, saying, "that battle was a long time ago." Kaim wiped away the blood that leaked down her side. He inspected the cut one last time and deemed it clean. He placed Sarah's staff in her hand, and she nodded and closed her eyes. He watched as the cut seemed to stitch itself back together and normalize in color. When it was all said and done, it left a thin scar that zigzagged over her ribs and side.

"My second one."

Kaim peaked down at the scar he had left above her breast, remembering the last time Tosca was held hostage all those centuries ago. He sighed, it was not a pleasant memory, and helped her with her clothes. When she was situated and decent, he kissed her shoulder and leaned into it carefully. Her side probably still stung a little. "Let's make it your last," he whispered. She hummed in agreement.

. . .

Kaim had left again, and four days past. With Sarah able to concentrate fully on curing villagers rather than splitting her energy between the wall and white magic, a lot of the burns and other wounds people had suffered started healing a lot faster. On the third day, the villagers who had left with Kaim came back. They brought with them enough grain and dried meat to last them the next few months and much needed herbs and other healing tonics. When Sarah questioned where Kaim was, one villager had shrugged. "He just sent us ahead."

Sarah's heart could have stopped. Had he already found another mercenary job? So soon after his last. She didn't have time to dwell, though. There were still too many people that need her help. She set her focus on those who came first.

.

Kaim arrived in the late afternoon of the next day. Sarah had just finished her last round of healing for the day and stepped outside for some air. She saw him make his way into town and went to greet him. "I was a little worried," she said, grabbing his hand. He gently squeezed it. It was reassuring. Kaim was here and he wasn't leaving.

"Let's go on a walk."

They walked through Tosca, greeting those they walked by, but not stopping. They made their way out of the village, and up through to the cape that looked over the sea. Kaim motioned down to the ledge and Sarah looked down to the ground below them. "Remember how we first met?" he asked.

Sarah laughed. "You tried to bury me that day."

"I was not trying to bury you!" Kaim laughed, sitting down. He let his legs hang over, and helped Sarah down beside him. "I was wrapping you up and preparing a speech to your family about how I saw you fall to your death."

"Only for me to wake up and you scream out in fright!" Sarah turned to him. "I think that's the only time I've ever heard you yell out like that."

Kaim chuckled. "I don't scare easily."

Sarah nodded in agreement, leaning her head onto his shoulder. Kaim wrapped an arm around her, and they stayed like that for some minutes.

"I almost bought you a hat the other day." That earned a laugh out of Sarah.

"I would have appreciated it. Would've added it to my collection of silly sun hats." She held his hand tighter.

The sun was slowly sinking towards the sea behind them, and the color of the sky changed from blue to orange. Sarah couldn't wish for life to be better than this. Sitting here with her dear Kaim so close with nothing between them. It was heaven on earth. She was sure to memorize the sunset so she could end her story about these desolate three months happily inside of her journal. She took a breath in and sighed. "I could sit here like this forever."

"Forever is a long time," Kaim said, shifting a little.

Sarah moved to look up at his face and found his chin to be turned away from her. She lifted her head, and he turned back towards her with a smile. He took her left hand and slid a ring onto her third finger. She gasped looking at the beautiful silver, and gasped again when he lifted his own left hand to see the matching one. "I wouldn't mind spending forever with you."

She laughed, scooting away from the edge of the cliff, and laying down in the soft grass. She held her sides as the giggles came bursting forth. Sarah didn't know if it was because she hadn't slept well in months or if maybe she wasn't going just a little bit crazy. Her final thought before she was sure was the end of her was that Kaim had the best way of destroying the mood.

Kaim lay beside her, half of his body covering her own as he did so. He leaned over her, his hand supporting his head. "What does my little wife find so amusing?"

"It's just that you say the tackiest things—oh!" Sarah sat forward, Kaim following, and placed her hands on his face, eyes wide and locked onto his. "Say it again!"

Kaim laid hands on her hips and tugged her closer. "Say what again?" This earned his face a tap from her fingers. She felt his cheeks lift with a smile.

"You know!"

"My little wife," he murmured, once again kissing her tears away. She didn't even know she was crying.

Sarah laughed, new tears flowing down her cheeks, as she pecked the corner of his mouth with her lips. "My dear _husband_ ," she gasped out between a breath. "I could get used to it!"

"You'd better," Kaim growled out as he leaned her down into the grass again. He kissed her deeply, and she felt his hands roam over her sides. She used her hands to pull him as close as she could, and could feel his touch becoming heated. Even through all of this, he was being so very careful not to roughly touch her newest scar. Sarah felt her heart cry out with adoration. He was so thoughtful, and how could she ever match that? How did she get so lucky? She loved this man—her _husband_ —with all her being, and hoped she could express herself fully in this moment.


	22. Breathe in, Breathe Out

Kaim watched as Sarah inspected her arm one last time before pulling down her sleeve. They had just entered the bottom of the mountains making their upward journey home, when a bat had scared them both. Kaim and Sarah had easily dodged its weak attack, but Sarah had lost her balance and cut her arm against a pointed rock.

Her magic weaved through her fingers and sparked across her skin. The cut seemed to stitch itself up and leave just a thin pink line that would no doubt be gone in the morning. Sarah picked herself up, gave Kaim a smile, and they were off again.

When they reached Tosca they stopped at the inn to grab a bite to eat. Kaim, as usual, sat in silence, but what his wife didn't know was that his thoughts zipped from one thing to another. He was tired of not knowing how to simply cure something. Here sat Sarah, the love and everlasting partner in his life, who could treat a whole army and only feel just the smallest of buzzing of her drained power. He remembered what came of that small war, a century and a little more than a half ago, and how she had cured a whole sick bay by herself. Within several minutes. Why couldn't he learn something like that? Was he so out of tune with magic that he couldn't procure a simple spell?

"Kaim, I can tell something is bothering you," came Sarah's voice. It broke him from his mind.

"What? How?"

"You've been glaring at your potato for three minutes." Kaim matched the smile that broke over her face. "What's going on?"

"Nothing you can fix."

"Oh, I don't know about that! There's a lot of things I can fix."

"Not sure about this one."

"Try me."

"Guess." Kaim laughed out loud at the pout she gave him. This could be entertaining.

"Your meat is bad."

"That is something you can't fix, if it was even broken to begin with," he teased, stabbing the little bit of roast that was left and sticking it straight in his mouth. She briefly stuck her tongue out at him, and he laughed. They played this game through the rest of their lunch and back to their home.

"I'm not going to give up."

Kaim's smile grew wider as he set his traveling pack in the corner by the door. "I wasn't expecting anything less."

They went about their day like this, and Kaim was growing more and more amused that she could really think of more and more things to suggest. "Is it about the teacup you broke the other day?"

"You're slipping, _dear wife_. You already fixed that."

Kaim laughed as she clicked her tongue. She rubbed her arm what he thought was absentmindedly, and he caught her hand. He gently pulled up her sleeve. The thin pink line had almost vanished, and he rubbed a thumb across it.

Sarah had known him too long, and he must not have hidden his expression well enough, because she guessed right. "It's about my wound this morning! Aw, you wanted to heal me?" Kaim sighed, and she squeezed his hand. "You want to learn how to do that!"

"Well, it only took you five hours."

"Oh, be quiet." Sarah sat down on their couch and Kaim did the same. She folded her feet under his thigh and leaned forward on crossed arms. She stared at him, almost squinting, and didn't move until he chuckled at her expression. "You don't think you can learn magic?"

Kaim shook his head. "I don't think I have the mind space for it."

"You'll never know if you don't try!" Sarah scooted closer to him, and he leaned over to roll her sleeve down that he'd pushed up earlier. "I bet you could cast zephyr."

"I don't think I can."

"I think you could! Don't be so unsure. There have definitely been worst magicians!"

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

With a shrug, Sarah smiled wide. Kaim rolled his eyes, and lightly elbowed her knee. She giggled, and then sobered up. "Give me a few days. I'll have you curing in no time!"

. . .

A week later and Sarah thought that maybe she was in over her head. Her dear husband might be one of the worst apprentices she had in her long life. He wasn't able to concentrate on anything for too long, and overthought about every move that he made.

"Clear your mind."

"I don't think I'm thinking about anything."

"You're thinking about thinking." Sarah nudged his knee with her own, and he snorted. She rolled her eyes. "I want you to listen."

"To what?"

"To nothing."

Kaim peeked an eye open. "That doesn't make sense."

"Shh!" Sarah peeked her own eye open, holding a finger to her lips. Kaim shut his eye again, and the space between them grew silent.

After a moment, Sarah leaned across her lap, tugging his hands from his sides, and facing his palms up. Kaim didn't say a word or opened his eyes as she placed her hand on top of his. "Tell me if you feel anything new."

She took a breath in, Kaim mimicking her, and on its way out she let her energy flow from her fingertips. Kaim breathed out. She watched as the spark of magic wrapped around his hands and frowned when it sputtered out. She saw Kaim's shoulders droop. "Nothing."

He opened his eyes and she held a finger to her chin. "You have to be receptive to something," she said aloud.

"Maybe it's not meant to be."

"Even Seth can do a little magic!"

"But she doesn't like the way she feels after." Kaim uncrossed his legs and leaned back into the grass. It was a nice spring day, and he looked like a cat soaking in the sun's rays. He patted the ground next to him, and she maneuvered herself to sit at his side. "Maybe in our old world I was just a warrior."

"I refuse to believe that." Sarah leaned back, Kaim joined her. She rested her cheek on his shoulder, breathing in the smell of him. She sighed contentedly, but her brow furrowed. "There is no way you could not have any inherent magic ability. I must be thinking in the wrong way."

They listened to the ocean as it crashed against the cliffs. These moments were what Sarah loved; Kaim next to her as they filled their long days with just being in each other's presence. Her hand found his and he gave it a light squeeze. The smile that drifted to her face stayed despite the problem she tried to work out in her head. "Maybe you need some sort of boost."

"Isn't that what you've been trying?" She felt Kaim's head turn towards her, but she lay still on his shoulder. "You've been trying to inject me with magic the last three times we've practiced."

"But it's not sticking."

"You don't mean any of Gongora's wild concoctions?"

That wiped the small smile from her. She shook her head turning towards him. The last time she met with the wizard of Uhra it unnerved her. He was plotting something big and was being very secretive about it. The visit was fraught with Gongora's speeches, his musings, his ideals, and Sarah couldn't help the way it churned her stomach. "No. Something tells me I won't be trying any new recipes he sends my way."

"What else can be done?"

Sarah sighed, watching the clouds drift by. "I'll think of something."

. . .

Kaim heard her curse from the other room. He came around the corner from the mudroom to the kitchen to see Sarah nursing her thumb between her lips. She pulled the appendage out and they watched as a bead of blood slowly oozed out of the shallow wound.

He watched as she closed her eyes and the small cut healed itself in a moment. She smiled and continued, carefully, cutting the tomato.

.

Kaim started to notice that his wife was very clumsy. At least once a day she was zephyring a small ache or wound that she caused. He wondered if she became a little careless in her nine hundred years and her magic had just become second nature. He was reminded again when she stubbed her poor toe against the door jamb, but just a moment after the sudden gasp of pain, she was walking normally again.

 _That should hurt for a few hours, at least,_ Kaim thought to himself. Sarah was very lucky in that she could heal herself without thought.

. . .

A few weeks later, Sarah tried something new. She had Kaim go through the motions of casting a spell. She gave him one of her basic wooden staffs and they stood outside in the warm afternoon. When Sarah casted her spells, she didn't need to move a certain way. She had been casting for so long that she really only needed to think about what spell she wanted, and it was at her fingertips. She showed him the motions she remembered from all those centuries ago, and while Kaim was a lot jerkier in his movements, he was hitting all the right marks.

"And what is this going to do?" he asked as his hands followed the same routine again.

"Just like when you practice with your sword and got better and better, maybe it'll come to you if you practice with a staff," she suggested.

Kaim didn't have any objections and concentrated on his movements.

.

Sarah couldn't say he wasn't dedicated. Kaim wiped his forehead with his short sleeve. They had been working for a few hours, and now Kaim could move the staff without forgetting a step or jerking around too quickly. She knew his sword hand would never have the fluid grace of using a staff exactly right, but she had seen worst casters making even more reckless movements and still procuring a spell.

When their eyes met, she shrugged her shoulders and he did the same. He deposited the staff back into her hands, laying a soft kiss to her lips. He came back for more, and she almost blushed at how eager she was leaning into him. "Bath before dinner?" he asked, his voice even lower than normal as he pulled away. It left her skin tingling.

Sarah quickly left her old staff leaning against the house.

. . .

It was the start of summer, and they were traveling to a city west of the mountains. The path was familiar to them, but Kaim knew that Sarah would be excited when they turned a new path at the fork coming in the road. To the left lay Uhra in the distance, and to the right emerged a river. They would follow that river to their destination.

Kaim knew Sarah didn't stray much from their journeys to Uhra and guessed right when she suddenly was interested in the river they followed. "It's been a long time since I've been around here!" she exclaimed stopping to refill her canteen in the slow-moving water. She tightened the lid and rejoined her husband on the trail.

"We'll stop for the night a little farther up. I don't know if you remember there was a cave?"

He watched as Sarah thought back, adjusting her glasses on her face. "I do recall. Behind a waterfall, I think. It's been at least a century since we've come around here."

"I think maybe two."

Kaim intertwined their hands. There wasn't much to be afraid of during this part of the river. The monsters and other wildlife that roamed were small and not threatening at all. It made the walk to their cave easy. Instead, Kaim enjoyed the soft swaying of their arms and Sarah's eyes lighting up at the new things around them.

They stopped several hours later at a cave. It was hidden behind a sheet of a waterfall. Kaim set their packs down as Sarah pulled off her traveling boots. She had her pants folded to her knees as she carefully stepped into the pool of water. "Oh, this is nice."

Kaim left her to soak her legs and feet to find some sticks and branches for a fire. It was late afternoon and he didn't want it to get too dark before they got their fire going.

He brought back the materials to find Sarah had taken off her traveling clothes and lay soaking in the water in just her underthings. Kaim quirked an eyebrow at her, and she just scrunched her face at him. "It's hot!" she complained.

"I didn't think you'd be such an exhibitionist."

"There's no one here but you." She said it in a confident way, but Kaim couldn't hold in the chuckle when she took a quick look around their surroundings anyway. They were hidden in the trees, and Kaim had traveled through here many times in his life to know that no one would bother them. She made a face at him. "There's no one to see me except my silly husband," she reiterated.

Kaim took off his own boots and dipped into the water himself. It was cool and just what he needed for his sore feet. Sarah made her way closer to him and pulled herself out of the water. She squeezed the water from her hair and kicked out with her feet. They watched the ripples move away from them in a comforted silence.

Soon the air grew a little chillier and Sarah was out of the water and changing into dry clothing. Kaim eventually pulled himself up as well. They went about making their sleeping arrangements for the night and unpacking the dinner they brought.

The night went on without a sound, but early morning brought a sudden early summer rainstorm. The water fell from the sky in torrents and the married immortals found themselves going deeper into the cave. With Sarah's magic blocking the rain from coming too close to them, they sat snuggled against each other in the back of the cave. They watched and listened as the rain fell around them for a while. "Well, this is going to delay us a little." Kaim sighed. The sky didn't look like it was going to let up.

"Well, there are plenty of things we can do in the meantime."

"Oh?" Kaim traced a finger on her thigh, and Sarah's breath caught in her throat.

"I-I-I mean that too!" she said, a blush spreading across her cheeks.

Kaim left a chaste kiss on her cheek, standing up. He grabbed his practice staff and laughed when Sarah blinked up at him. Confusion, realization, and then a darker blush spreading across her features. She stood up quickly. "Not funny."

"It's a little funny."

She marched the small space between them, pulled him closer to her and enveloped them in a deeper kiss. Her arms wrapped around his neck as he parted his lips and allowed her to explore. Just as sudden as she came, she left. Kaim was sorry to part, but his wife was determined to knock some sense into him. She grabbed her own staff, and they began to practice the motions.

. . .

Sarah hardly broke a sweat at the exercise, but Kaim was winded at the force and movements she put him through. She laughed as he motioned for her to let him out of her barrier. She let down the magic wall for Kaim to cool himself down in the rain as she pulled out some bread and dried meat for their lunch. By the time Kaim came back soaked from head to foot, she had toasted the bread on the fire and cut up the meat for the two of them to share. Kaim stripped down to his underwear leaving his clothes on a small boulder next to the fire to dry. She purposely avoided his touch as she passed him his food.

"You're not mad," he more or less stated.

"Oh, I'm not." Sarah looked at him, a smile forming on her lips. Kaim sat with his food, and she could see every muscle from his shoulders down to his waist in the firelight. She looked away hoping the pink of her cheeks could be disguised with the heat of her toasting the bread. _Two can play this game_ , she thought before adding, "but you're going to wait."

"Wait?"

Sarah turned her head then, letting him see her desire in the way she looked him up and down. She could appreciate her husband's muscled arms and thighs and could just imagine what he could do to her if she let him. But she wasn't. She let herself sigh softly, making eye contact with Kaim. He stared at her, his expression shocked at her boldness, and purposefully folded an arm over his lap. She giggled, and he rolled his eyes at her, though not without a small smile of his own.

.

The rain lasted a full day and night. It was a little messy getting out of the cave, and their boots slopped around on the path ahead of them, but they were soon back on track to reach their destination. It would take another half day of walking and then they should see the outskirts of the city.

Monsters felt braver since the rain, seeming to notice Kaim and Sarah were having a little trouble keeping their pace in the mud. It wasn't anything they couldn't handle and soon they were left alone again.

The city was bustling as always. The river they followed eventually let up into a long and wide lake. The city itself did a lot of trading with Saman and other places across the expanse of water and was a large port that had very many visitors. With the weather being as tumultuous across the lake and region, it was a little less busy than a normal summer day.

Kaim checked them into their hotel and they used an hour to freshen up. They were here to solve a squabble between two different shipyards. It just so happened that Kaim and Sarah were friends to both and were written hastily to be middlemen.

The issue was small, and quite easily solved, and they suddenly had a lot time to wander around and check out some old places they used to visit.

"Has it really been that long since we came here?" Sarah saw several new buildings that had popped up along the river, and old buildings that had been bought out and changed. "All these new stores and restaurants."

"Guess they're trying to liven it up for a new generation," Kaim suggested, eyeing an old favorite of his that Sarah was almost surprised was still standing. After popping into the shop, they made their way down the street, looking in through the windows until they heard a commotion. Kaim held her hand as he made his way first through the crowd.

A woman stood hysterically trying to beg the guard to do something. It was muffled and hard to hear with the way she was crying, but the guardsman wasn't doing much to help calm her down. "They were supposed to be here days ago! Please!"

"I'm sorry ma'am," the guard said, not sounding a bit apologetic for it. "We don't have any spare men, and with the rain—"

"I thought you were supposed to help!" The woman sniffed and wiped at her eyes. She got onto her knees, but that didn't seem to sway him either. "They're all that I have!"

Sarah nudged past Kaim, and he followed right after her. She bent down to lay an arm across the woman while Kaim motioned to her for the guard. The armored man sighed. "She's the owner of a flower shop and her sons are not back from a trip to the mountains."

"And she needs help?" Kaim watched as Sarah gently got the woman to stand and walk away from the gathered crowd. They watched as the women walked down the road and the crowd dispersed. "You can't give it to her?"

"With the rain over the lake right now we can't spare any men who aren't already trying to get this place cleaned up. We're spread too thin to go on a rescue mission that isn't needed. Her sons probably took shelter and are on their way home now."

Kaim nodded, thanking him, and leaving to search for Sarah and the other woman. He found them on a bench, the poor woman sobbing into Sarah's shoulder.

"We'll go find them," he caught her saying. He made eye contact with his wife, nodding. He knew she would offer, and he was not going to be against it. "I promise we'll find them."

"I-I can't thank you enough!" She was wiping away her tears, trying to keep her voice calm and steady. "They were on their way back from Tosca, and they should have been here a few days ago! But with this rain and everything who kno-kno-knows what happened to them!" The woman set her head into her hands, shaking again.

"We know the area very well, ma'am." Kaim laid a hand on her shoulder. We'll find them."

"Bless you."

.

Kaim and Sarah set out as soon as they were through talking to the woman. The boys were young teenagers and they had memorized their names and descriptions. The rain was picking back up again, and Sarah set a barrier over their heads to keep the worst of the wetness away from them. They rested overnight at the waterfall, and in the morning looked around the path for any signs of distress.

They didn't remember seeing anyone on their way to the port so they figured that they could have possibly gotten off path. "She did say that it was the first time they had made the journey by themselves since their father died a few years ago."

"They could have gotten off the path to find shelter from the rain," Kaim added.

After a half a day walk, and into the early afternoon they found themselves back at the fork in the road. Instead of heading back towards their home or going west to Uhra, they made their way through the thicket of trees to their left. Kaim held his hand on the hilt of his sword. Sarah took down the barrier and kept her staff close. Monsters and wild animals off the path were a little stronger and a lot less wary of visitors. One wrong move and they might be caught off guard by something unpleasant. They stuck close together as they made their way through the trees.

It was getting almost too dark when they found a place to sleep. Sarah took a few minutes to build a barrier around them, as Kaim pulled a few things from their pack. The ground was too wet to start a fire, so Sarah created a ball of light to aid them in getting ready for the night. Kaim found himself longing at being able to do some sort of magic to aid in their endeavor but didn't allow it to show on his face. Sarah would only worry.

After having a light meal and finding a soft patch of moss to lay in, Kaim laid down and Sarah followed soon after. She tucked her head into his shoulder as she pushed the light back into her palm. The quiet woods seemed to become active in the darkness, and Kaim found that even with Sarah's barrier around them, it was hard to sleep.

.

He woke up first feeling a little stiff. Sarah snored softly beside him, though she did not look very comfortable. Her head was angled in a strange way, and Kaim went about adjusting her and carefully freeing his arm away from her. Sarah just turned her face into the moss, snoring again.

Kaim got up, relieved himself, and took a good look at their surroundings. They were on a top of a slope, the hill moving downwards but not too steeply. Anyone could get hurt in the rain on these hills, and he hoped they were not too late in their search for the young mortals.

Sarah joined him ten minutes later. She was rubbing a sore spot and trying to simultaneously rake a hand through her hair. "I have had a better pillow," she teased with a wince.

Kaim made a mock hurtful sound, letting his hip bump into her. She stumbled a little but bumped him right back. Kaim cleaned up their small camp with a smile on his face as she made her way around the trees to freshen up.

The morning called for more rain and the slope was a little tricky to get down. Several times the immortals felt themselves slip on the wet foliage, Sarah having fallen two times. Kaim made sure to keep a hand at elbow level the rest of the time down.

After the ground evened out, they found themselves at what looked to be a river of mud and rocks. "A landslide," Kaim observed. Sarah adjusted her glasses and looked around at it. "It goes down for awhile."

"I have a feeling we should follow it, Kaim." Sarah looked up at him and he nodded grimly.

They followed the landslide, careful not to step too close to it in case they found themselves stuck, and at the end of the trail they saw a very wide and deep ditch. Sarah kneeled looking down. "I see someone!" she exclaimed, pointing.

Indeed, there seemed to be two someone's looking up at them from the bottom. "We're coming! Don't move!" Kaim called down to them.

"I don't think we can!" one of them yelled back.

Carefully using roots and rocks that poked out of the ditch, they made their way down. It took a few minutes to reach the bottom and when they did they had to avoid the sharp broken rocks and sticks that jutted out from the mud. With dirty hands and arms, they reached the two boys.

"Are you Tomas and Theo?" Sarah asked.

The boys looked at each other. "How did you know?"

"Your mother has been worried sick!" Sarah made it to them and looked at their injuries. The older one was holding his side. He seemed to wince every time he took a breath in. The younger one looked fine other than some scrapes and bruises. "I can see it was no fault of your own."

"We were just trying to get away from the rain," the older boys said, but was interrupted by a hiss of pain that passed through him. Sarah immediately pulled out her staff. She set to work trying to see what was causing him pain. The younger boy looked up at Kaim.

He seemed to be intimidated by his height and Kaim made sure to adjust his features to make him look a little softer. The boy looked down to the ground sheepishly. "We weren't paying attention and the landslide caught us."

"How old are you?"

"Fourteen. Tomas is three years older, sir."

"You will just need to be careful next time." Kaim set a gentle hand on his shoulder. The boy looked up. "Next time try to make it to the cave behind the waterfall if you get caught up in the weather." The boy's eyes widened, and he could tell that he didn't know there was anything behind the water. "It's a lot safer and monsters should leave you alone."

"Yes, sir."

Sarah helped the boy stand, and Kaim turned his attention to him. "Can you climb?" Tomas nodded. "We'll need to get back up this way. If we head straight, we should reach the waterfall by mid-morning and we can rest again.

The boys, Kaim and Sarah made it around the rocks and to the wall of dirt and roots. The boys climbed up the roots first, waiting for Kaim and Sarah after. Kaim tested both roots and they seemed to hold him well enough and nodded towards Sarah. He hooked on both of their packs over his shoulders. He watched as she gripped the ropelike root and they hoisted themselves up.

Kaim reached the top first, putting their packs next to the boys and leaned back over the edge to help Sarah up. Just as she reached up for him, the rock underneath her boot loosened and fell beneath her. Sarah made a squeak and tried to recover, but the root slipped from her hand and she fell backwards. Kaim gasped in horror and found himself climbing down with reckless abandon to reach her at the bottom.

She groaned holding her head. Kaim carefully lifted her into a sitting position. He could hear the boys calling over the ledge at them, but his mind was racing at the red that appeared on her hand when she moved it away from her head. Kaim looked to the back of her head to see her hair matted with blood. "Sarah, can you hear me?"

She moaned again, but slowly nodded. She looked unfocused, and Kaim was beginning to panic a little "Sarah I need you to heal yourse—"

She turned to the side and retched, slumping in Kaim's arms.

He held her up with his right arm, eyes racing around to look for anything to help with her head wound. His eyes looked up and he could see the two boys looking down on them. "My pack!" He yelled up at them. When they didn't seem to move, he added. "throw it down!"

One of them, Kaim guessed Theo, disappeared from the edge returning moments later to drop the pack down to them. It hit the ground next to him, and Kaim pulled out the staff. He first set it in Sarah's lap, but then remembered she was unconscious leaning on him. He cursed and held the useless thing in his hands. His heart beat wildly in his chest as he stared at the wooden stick in his hand. What would Sarah do? How did she do this so easily? He tried to do his practiced motions with one arm, but nothing was happening. He didn't feel any magic.

He wasn't thinking when he clutched the staff tighter in his hands. Anger pushing away the worry as he pulled his free arm back to throw the staff away from him. In that moment he felt a spark. It shocked him out of his anger a moment as he watched it travel up his arm. He blinked a few times before realizing that he was the one conducting it. _What does Sarah say to do? Breathe in, and when you breathe out…_

He did just that, screwing his eyes shut and maneuvering his arm and Sarah so that his hand set onto the back of her bleeding scalp. When he let the air out of his lungs, zephyr breathed out with it. It zipped through his arm and out of his fingertips. He almost dropped Sarah's head when he felt the skin beneath him stitch itself together, unused to the feeling. He didn't drop the connection, focusing his emotion and breathing into the spell.

He didn't let go when it stopped either, holding still. The rain started its beat again by the time Sarah's eyes opened. "Kaim?"

"Hey." He smiled down at her. She smiled up and then frowned.

"It's raining."

"Let's get out of here."

. . .

Sarah watched as Kaim collapsed in the cave. She bent over worried, and realized he was asleep. She requested the boys help her set up a bed roll for him and helped him to it. Her head had finally stopped hurting enough that she could try and remember just what happened. She remembered slipping from the roots but not much after that.

"Oh, you fell from the top to the bottom!" Theo said around a mouthful of bread. His older brother kicked his foot, and the younger boy apologized.

"I understand you must be famished, it is alright." Sarah smiled and patted his knee. The boy blushed a little and tore into the bread again. "I fell?"

"Yes," Tomas started, giving his brother another rude look. The younger just continued to eat like he had never eaten before. With a sigh he continued, "you hit the ground pretty hard from what we could see. Mr. Kaim got to you as fast as he could, and it looked like you hit the back of your head bad."

Sarah had noticed her head was tender in the back. She lightly pressed her fingers to her skull and felt a lump. "Oh."

"Yeah, so he told us to throw down your pack. He pulled out the long stick…thing and he kinda waved it around. It looked like he was going to throw it away but there was a spark. After another minute he pulled you onto his back and he climbed up the ditch." Tomas ended his story with awe. He snuck a peek back at the sleeping immortal behind him. "Mr. Kaim is very strong."

Sarah felt a strong surge of pride ride through her. _He finally did it!_ she thought happily to herself. Creating magic was harder under stress, but she guessed that was the boost he finally needed to get his mind to finally connect with the magical energy stored in him. She always knew he would be capable of healing, and she almost woke him up just to show him how truly happy she was for him, but knew he probably used every ounce of energy stored in him for that one spell. He needed this night of sleep, and probably a few days more on top of it.

So instead, Sarah looked back on her husband as well, feeling her heart skip a beat. "He truly is."

. . .

Kaim woke up and it was dark. He quietly took in his surroundings from the growing cooler embers of the fire, to the rocks that surrounded him. He relaxed only a small bit when he finally recognized the waterfall's roar. He nearly jumped out of his covers when he felt movement behind him but relaxed immediately when he felt a familiar body press into his. He allowed his eyes to close knowing his wife was snoring beside him.

.

When he awoke again the sun was cresting over the trees. It had felt like days since he felt the sunshine and was happy to note that the rest of their journey was going to be cloudless. He lay on his back for some time listening to the snores of his companions around him. The light had not yet woke them from their sleep, and he wasn't going to be the one to do it.

Sarah slept on her side, chin pushed against his shoulder. She was quiet this morning and Kaim knew that if he moved too much she would wake right up. He turned his head and saw her brow was smooth and there was no worry etched into her face. She was beautiful and alive, and he felt an overwhelming, selfish need to press his lips against her.

Her eyes fluttered open as if she read his thoughts in her dreams. She blinked slowly at him and moved a hand to his cheek. She smoothed a hand into a calming circle over the rough wiry hairs of his cheeks until he caught her hand with his own. He moved towards her, inching his way until he could feel her lips on his own. She parted her mouth eagerly and Kaim felt her tongue caressing his so slowly. He deepened it more, turning his body to entangle his legs under their cover.

They parted but not before Kaim kissed his way around her face, landing lastly on the tip of her nose, making her smile. "How are you?" he asked, leaning his lips onto her temple.

"I should be asking you," she replied. He slid careful fingers through her hair, and lightly felt around the bump. It was smaller than the day before, but Kaim still frowned. She must have felt the motion, because she finally answered with, "I'm okay. It'll go away after a while."

They stayed like this for a long time. The sun made its way above the trees and the light finally hit them fully in the cave. Kaim remembered it was summer, and he started to feel a little stifled in their covers and sadly broke away from his wife. She stretched as he made to get up, the sound of her yawn stirring the boys who slept on the other side of them. "Morning," Kaim greeted.

"You're awake!" Theo was the bright and early riser. He climbed out of bed quickly eager to help Kaim pack away their things. Tomas leaned forward rubbing his eyes, and Kaim chuckled at the way his hair stood up from the bed.

"Alright boys, let's get moving."

. . .

Kaim tried to refuse the payment four times before finally relenting to the weeping mother. He reluctantly took the small pouch of gold but thanked her deeply. She returned it just the same, saying that she was so very relieved to see her boys were okay, and that Sarah had made a recovery from her fall. They finally parted ways making their way back through the port city.

It was only midday and Kaim had half the mind to leave town and get as close to the edge of the Toscan mountains by evening, but his body had other plans. He was tripping over his feet in the middle of the marketplace and Sarah told him they needed to rest. They argued but she won when she mentioned, "we haven't slept in a bed in almost a week." He had to say that he missed a soft mattress and finally relented.

They used the money earned from their rescue mission to rent a room in a nice hotel. After they took a long soak in the bathtub and ate a meal that consisted of bread _and_ a hearty soup, Kaim pulled Sarah into the bed wrapping arms and legs together. He was bent on continuing their morning kisses, but he was interrupted by his own yawn. "Go to sleep Kaim," Sarah whispered. He couldn't help to feel a little guilty, but soon was blinking into unconsciousness.

"Not fair," he whispered when he realized she was smoothing his hair down, scratching his scalp behind his ears. That motion always helped him fall asleep. He heard her laugh, and he fell asleep with a smile.


End file.
